Giving Birth In America? U.S. Issues Stern Warning To Nigerian Travelers

The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a stern warning to Nigerians planning to travel to the U.S. primarily to give birth, a practice aimed at securing American citizenship for their newborns.

In a post shared via its official (formerly Twitter) handle, the U.S. Mission emphasized that using a visa with the intention of giving birth in the U.S. constitutes a breach of immigration regulations.

“Traveling on a visa with the sole purpose of delivering a baby in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child is not allowed,” the statement declared.

It added, “If consular officers suspect this is your main reason for travel, your visa will be denied.”

This warning comes amid increased scrutiny of visa applications and a renewed crackdown on “birth tourism”—a practice in which foreign nationals enter the U.S. to give birth and gain citizenship for their children.

It’s worth noting that the U.S. Department of State recently updated its visa reciprocity policy for Nigerian nationals, reducing most non-diplomatic, non-immigrant visas to single entry with a validity period of just three months.

The U.S. Mission stated that these policy adjustments are part of broader efforts to protect the integrity of the country’s immigration system in line with global security standards.