The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a strong warning to Nigerians and other foreign nationals against using American visas to travel for the main purpose of giving birth in the US so that their children can gain citizenship. In a message posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook pages, the mission made it clear that this practice, commonly known as birth tourism, is not allowed.
According to the statement, US officials will refuse visa applications if there is any indication that the traveler’s main intention is to deliver a baby in the United States to secure American citizenship for the child. The post included the hashtags #VisaWiseTravelSmart and #USVisa to emphasize the importance of responsible travel.
Birth tourism refers to the act of traveling to another country to give birth so the child can automatically obtain citizenship by being born there. The Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born on American soil, but the US government considers attempts to exploit this through travel for childbirth a violation of visa terms.
The B-1 business visa and B-2 tourist visa are the most commonly misused for this purpose. To address the issue, a 2020 rule states that US consular officers are required to deny visas to any applicant believed to be planning such a trip. The Department of Homeland Security has said that many of these travelers often claim they want their children to have better opportunities in the US.
A Senate report from 2022 revealed that birth tourists may spend between $7,000 and $100,000 to give birth in the US. Meanwhile, Nigeria loses over $28 billion each year to medical tourism, according to a report by All Africa.
A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health that examined maternity outcomes in Chicago showed that 88% of the patients seeking such services were Nigerian women. In 2020, an estimated 33,000 women on tourist visas gave birth in the US, as reported by the Center for Immigration Studies.
The topic has become even more controversial following Executive Order 14160 issued by former President Donald Trump in January 2025. The order, currently under legal review, aims to end automatic citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants.
