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US Tightens Travel Restrictions, Prohibits Child Birth Tourism.
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Consular officers instructed to deny such visa applications.
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Nigeria among countries targeted in broader visa integrity campaign.
The United States has issued a firm warning to Nigerians and other foreign nationals against engaging in “birth tourism,” saying any visa applicant found intending to travel for childbirth to secure U.S. citizenship for their child will be denied entry.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the U.S. Mission in Nigeria gave the warning in a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @USinNigeria, on Monday. The announcement is part of a wider campaign to discourage visa misuse and promote responsible travel.
“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 mission stated.
It added that consular officers are now specifically instructed to deny visa applications if there is reasonable belief that childbirth is the main purpose of the visit. An accompanying graphic on the post emphasized: “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.”
The hashtags #VisaWiseTravelSmart and #USVisa were included in the post to raise awareness and guide travelers on acceptable visa practices.
Birth tourism has been a longstanding issue in U.S. immigration discussions. Under American law, children born on U.S. soil automatically become citizens, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. This has led to some individuals exploiting the policy by entering the U.S. to give birth.
With the new directive, the U.S. government is reinforcing its efforts to protect the integrity of its visa system and prevent fraudulent entry.
The warning serves as a strong advisory to Nigerians and others applying for U.S. visas to ensure their declared purpose of travel aligns with U.S. immigration laws.
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