Photo caption: US flag
The United States government has warned that any foreign national believed to be travelling primarily to give birth in the U.S. to secure citizenship for their child will be denied entry visa.
The US Mission in Nigeria in a statement issued on Monday, said that consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications if there is reason to believe that the applicant’s main reason for visiting the U.S. is to deliver a baby and obtain US citizenship for the newborn.
“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 reads. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
An accompanying image on the statement on X by the U.S. Mission read: “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.”
The U.S. Department of State, had on April 24, 2025, posted an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that tourist visa applications made primarily for the purpose of giving birth in the United States—commonly referred to as birth tourism—will be fully rejected.
Under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, any child born on U.S. soil is granted U.S. citizenship. Foreign nationals have taken advantage of this by entering the country on tourist visas to give birth, thereby securing a U.S. passport for the child.
