The U.S. Mission in Nigeria warns that using a visa to give birth for citizenship purposes is grounds for denial, emphasizing stricter enforcement of immigration rules.
The United States has issued a stern warning to visa applicants seeking to travel primarily to give birth on American soil in a bid to secure citizenship for their child. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria made this clear in a public announcement shared on Monday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, @USinNigeria.
According to the statement, any individual suspected of engaging in so-called “birth tourism” — the practice of traveling to the U.S. with the primary intent of delivering a child to obtain automatic citizenship will be denied a visa.
“Using your visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have U.S. citizenship is not permitted,” the mission warned. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The announcement featured an image bearing the same message, reinforcing that such misuse of visas is strictly prohibited under U.S. immigration law.
The move is part of a broader U.S. government campaign aimed at curbing visa fraud and raising public awareness about lawful travel conduct. The post was also tagged with #VisaWiseTravelSmart and #USVisa, signaling the seriousness of the issue.
This is not the first time U.S. authorities have addressed birth tourism, but the renewed emphasis suggests increased vigilance and tighter scrutiny of applicants' travel intentions.
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