The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a warning to Nigerians—particularly pregnant women—against engaging in birth tourism, a practice where individuals travel to the U.S. primarily to give birth so their child can acquire American citizenship.
In an advisory shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, the Mission stated that using a U.S. visa for the primary purpose of giving birth violates U.S. immigration laws.
“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 statement read.
The Mission also noted that U.S. consular officers are instructed to deny visa applications if they suspect such intentions.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent,” the advisory added.
This announcement reflects the U.S. government’s continued efforts to prevent misuse of its visa system and to discourage practices that attempt to exploit immigration policies.
