The U.S. mission in Nigeria has issued a strong warning regarding “birth tourism,” specifically targeting those who might plan to travel to the U.S. mainly for that purpose. They made it clear via their X account this week, and the message was also shared on Facebook.
“If your primary reason for traveling is to give birth in the U.S. to secure citizenship for your child, your visa will be denied,” the message stated.
Birth tourism generally involves foreigners traveling to another country to deliver their babies with the hope of granting them citizenship there. The post included hashtags like #visawisetravelsmart and #usvisa.
Section 14 provides that anyone born in the U.S. automatically gains citizenship. Typically, the B-2 tourist visa and B-1 business visa are misused for this purpose, prompting the State Department to advocate for stricter policies back in 2020.
“Consular officers are instructed to deny B non-immigrant visas to individuals they suspect are traveling primarily for childbirth,” the rule states.
A report from the Senate Minority on Homeland Security noted that these visitors often cite the educational and professional opportunities available in the U.S. as reasons for their travels.
Birth tourists can spend anywhere from $7,000 to $100,000 to obtain citizenship for their newborns. Nigeria reportedly accounts for over $28 billion annually in medical tourism, according to local reports.
A study in the Journal of Women’s Health pointed out that 88% of those seeking maternal and neonatal care in Chicago are Nigerians.
Interestingly, it was estimated that around 33,000 births occurred in 2020 among women who used tourist visas. This raises questions about how prevalent this issue really is.
In January 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14,160, which sought to end automatic citizenship for children of American citizens under certain circumstances.
