In a renewed advisory targeting visa misuse, the United States has cautioned Nigerians against attempting to travel to the country with the primary aim of giving birth, a practice commonly referred to as birthright citizenship.
- The United States has issued an advisory cautioning Nigerians against traveling to the country with the primary intention of giving birth.
- Consular officers are instructed to deny visas if they suspect applicants’ intentions related to exploiting birthright citizenship.
- The advisement comes amidst increased scrutiny regarding ‘birth tourism’ and tightened immigration controls in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Department of State, using a visitor visa for the sole purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child born on American soil is considered visa fraud and could lead to automatic denial of entry or future visa ineligibility.
U.S. consular officers are under strict instructions to assess an applicant’s travel intent, and any suspicion that a Nigerian applicant is seeking to exploit the birthright citizenship provision—whereby any child born in the U.S. automatically becomes a citizen—could result in a rejected visa application.
The State Department emphasized that “traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth” is not a permissible reason under the B1/B2 (tourist or business) visa category.
The statement which was issued by the US Mission in Nigeria via their X (formerly Twitter) page said “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. Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent”
Trumps move to end birthright citizenship
The warning comes amid heightened scrutiny of global birth tourism trends, and as Washington tightens its immigration controls.
While birthright citizenship remains a constitutional right in the U.S. under the 14th Amendment, the U.S. government maintains that visa applicants must demonstrate credible, lawful reasons for their visits.
Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed his intention to sign an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, a constitutional right enshrined in the 14th Amendment, which guarantees U.S. citizenship to anyone born on American soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Trump had insisted that for a baby to become a citizen, “At least one parent will have to be a citizen or a legal resident.”
The announcement has triggered intense legal scrutiny and widespread controversy, as constitutional scholars and civil rights groups argue that such an executive action would likely face immediate legal challenges and be struck down by the courts for violating the Constitution.
The move is particularly significant for Nigeria, which ranks among the top countries with citizens seeking birthright citizenship for their children in the U.S. U.S. authorities are urging Nigerians to ensure transparency and compliance with visa regulations to avoid sanctions, deportations, or long-term bans.
Meanwhile, a recent Supreme Court decision has cleared the path for President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order ending birthright citizenship to take effect, as legal challenges continue in lower courts.
The ruling limits the ability of federal judges to block presidential actions, and comes amid polling by Emerson College in January showing that more Americans support than oppose Trump on the issue.
