United States government has announced a significant policy shift aimed at curbing “birth tourism.”
Gatekeepers News reports that according to a statement released by the US Mission in Nigeria on Monday, foreign nationals whose primary intent for travel is to give birth on US soil to secure citizenship for their children will be denied visas.
Consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications if they suspect the applicant’s main reason for visiting the country is to deliver a baby and obtain US 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 statement read.
The US Mission in Nigeria reiterated this stance on social media, stating, “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.”
The policy is rooted in the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which grants automatic citizenship to any child born on US soil.
