The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a strong warning to Nigerian nationals intending to travel to the U.S. for the primary purpose of giving birth to secure citizenship for their children.
In a post shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the mission reiterated that using a U.S. visa for childbirth-related travel—commonly known as birth tourism—is a violation of U.S. immigration policy.
“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.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The warning comes amid increasing scrutiny of non-immigrant visa applications and a broader effort to enforce policies targeting visa misuse.
Birth tourism, though not illegal in all cases, is heavily regulated. U.S. immigration authorities consider it misrepresentation if an applicant conceals the true intent of their travel.
This follows recent changes to U.S. visa policies, including the Department of State’s revision of reciprocity rules, which now limits most non-immigrant Nigerian visas to single-entry with a three-month validity.
The U.S. Mission emphasized that its visa policies are based on “global technical and security standards,” and are designed to maintain the integrity of its immigration system.
