This is bad news for Nigerian women contemplating travelling to the United State to have their babies for the purpose of acquiring citizenship for their newborn. The United States Mission in Nigeria on Monday said visas would be denied if such motive is suspected.
In a tweet on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), the U.S. Mission made it clear that using a visa for the main purpose of childbirth is prohibited under U.S. immigration policy.
According to the tweet, “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”.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of visa applications and increased enforcement around what is informally referred to as “birth tourism” — the practice of traveling to the U.S. to give birth so the child obtains automatic citizenship.
Recall the United States Department of State had also revised its visa reciprocity policy, announcing that most non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will now be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.
The U.S. reiterated that its visa policies are based on global technical and security benchmarks aimed at protecting the integrity of its immigration systems