The United States has warned Nigerians against travelling to the country with the main intention of giving birth and securing US citizenship for their children.
In a new advisory aimed at curbing visa misuse, the US embassy in Nigeria said such visa applications will be rejected if consular officers suspect that birthright citizenship is the primary goal.
The alert comes as the US increases scrutiny of “birth tourism” amid stricter immigration policies.
“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 embassy stated in an update on X.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
Many people are drawn to birth tourism due to the long-term advantages of US citizenship, such as the ability to live and work in the country, access education, and later sponsor relatives.
This practice has become popular worldwide, especially among affluent families from Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution grants birthright citizenship to “all persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof”.
Traditionally, this meant that nearly all babies born on US soil automatically received citizenship, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
However, in January, shortly after taking office, Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the birthright citizenship policy.
Trump has consistently argued that some foreigners exploit this law by coming to the US to have children, contributing to rising immigration numbers.
The legality of the executive order remains unresolved, as courts have issued injunctions preventing its enforcement.
After 18 states and various rights organisations challenged the order in court, Trump claimed that birthright citizenship was originally intended to protect the children of former slaves after the Civil War and was not meant for tourists or undocumented immigrants.
