The United States government has announced it will deny visa applications from Nigerians intending to travel primarily for the purpose of giving birth in the US to secure American citizenship for their children.
In a statement released via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the US Mission in Nigeria emphasized that such actions, commonly referred to as birth tourism, are not allowed under US immigration laws.
"We will deny your visa if we believe your primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to get US citizenship for your child," the Mission stated. "Using your visa for this purpose is not permitted. Consular officers will deny your visa application if they suspect this is your intent."
Birth tourism involves pregnant women traveling to countries that offer jus soli (citizenship by birth) so that their child is granted citizenship upon birth, regardless of the parents' nationality or residency status.
The US, being one of such countries, has become a popular destination for this practice.
However, the policy has faced increasing criticism and legal challenges, especially since former President Donald Trump attempted to halt birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants.
An executive order to this effect, signed in early 2025, has been embroiled in legal disputes ever since.
Just last Friday, a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking the enforcement of the controversial order.
The ruling marked the third major legal setback for the executive action since a Supreme Court ruling in June limited the power of lower courts to impose broad injunctions.
Judge Joseph Laplante, who delivered the most recent decision, described US citizenship as "the greatest privilege that exists in the world."
He ruled that denying citizenship through executive order without legislative input posed a serious risk of "irreparable harm" to thousands of individuals, including children already granted citizenship under the existing policy.
States opposing the executive order argued it was unconstitutional and would negatively affect millions in funding tied to citizenship-based healthcare programs.
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