The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a warning to visa applicants against traveling to the US with the intention of giving birth solely to obtain American citizenship for their child. The embassy emphasized that applying for a visa with the primary aim of giving birth in the US is not allowed. It noted that consular officers are instructed to deny visa applications if they believe that birth tourism is the applicant’s main reason for travel.
“Using your visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have US citizenship is not permitted,” the mission said in a Facebook post. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The warning comes amid a broader US crackdown on immigration, which has intensified following Donald Trump’s return to office. His administration has reinstated travel bans, raised visa application fees, reduced eligibility for visa interview waivers, and expanded social media scrutiny for applicants.
One major area of focus is the restriction of birth tourism. Visa applicants suspected of intending to give birth in the US to secure automatic citizenship for their children are now likely to be refused entry. Trump has also pushed for the abolition of automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizens and non-residents. However, US courts have ruled that such a move violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
Additionally, the recently signed “big beautiful bill” now requires Nigerians and other foreign nationals applying for US visas to pay a \$250 ‘visa integrity fee’ in addition to existing charges. The standard visa application fee already exceeds \$160 in Nigeria. The integrity fee applies to all non-immigrant visa categories, including tourist, business, and student visas, and is not subject to waiver.
Source : https://www.premiumtimesng.com/
