…Says ‘We will deny VISAS for such tourism expenditure’
*Under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, any child born on US soil is automatically granted citizenship
*“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”- U.S. Mission in Nigeria
*BY AJOKE IBITOLA/INTERNATIONAL Diplomatic Reporter, Abuja, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA
IN A FINAL TONE OF WARNING, the United States government has announced that it will deny visas to foreign nationals, including Nigerians, whose main reason for travel is to give birth on American soil to obtain citizenship for their children-a practice widely known as birth tourism.
The U.S. State Department reportedly said America will no longer be a breeding ground for foreigners, including Nigerian women to visit, primarily for the purpose of putting to bed in the United States hospital for the purpose of obtaining an automatic citizenship for the baby.
The announcement read: “We will no longer permit, any foreign national, including the Nigerian women to circumvent our United States Immigration laws, by using our hospitals for child-birth citizenship under any guise. We will deny VISAS for such tourism expenditures”.
Corroborating this view in a lengthy statement, the United States Mission in Nigeria issued a statement recently where it said its consular officers have been directed to reject visa applications if there is reason to believe the applicant’s primary intent is to deliver a baby in the US and secure automatic citizenship for the newborn.
“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.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
An image posted alongside the statement on X (formerly Twitter) reinforced the warning:
“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. This is not accepted.”
Under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, any child born on US soil is automatically granted citizenship, a provision that has made the country a destination for birth tourism.
However, the practice has increasingly come under scrutiny, especially as some companies and individuals charge large fees to arrange such trips.
US authorities have been cracking down on these schemes, citing concerns over abuse of immigration policies and the strain it places on the healthcare system.
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