The United States government has reiterated its stance against “birth tourism”, the practice of traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth so that a child automatically acquires U.S. citizenship.
In a statement released Monday, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced that consular officers have been directed to deny visa applications if there is reason to believe the applicant’s main intent is to deliver a child in the U.S. for the purpose of securing citizenship.
“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 stated. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
An image accompanying the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) reinforced the message: “We will deny your visa if we believe your primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to get U.S. citizenship for your child. This is not accepted.”
Under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, any child born on U.S. soil is automatically granted American citizenship. While this policy has attracted global attention, it has also been subject to misuse.
Birth tourism remains a contentious issue, with U.S. authorities cracking down in recent years on businesses and individuals that facilitate such travel, often charging substantial fees to arrange birth-focused trips.
