Like many parents in Nigeria, one of my greatest ambitions is to secure dual citizenship for my children, with the U.S. being the ultimate goal. However, recent changes under the new administration might make this dream harder to achieve.
In this blog, I’ll share my thoughts on why pursuing Birth Tourism in the U.S. might no longer be worth it, and I’ll also present other alternatives to consider.
Understanding Birthright Citizenship in the U.S.
What is birthright citizenship and its history? Birthright citizenship is a legal principle granting individuals citizenship at birth, either through ancestry or birthplace. Birthplace-based citizenship, known as jus soli, which means “right of the soil,” is determined by birth location.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution establishes birthright citizenship, ensuring that children born in the US, even to immigrant parents, automatically gain citizenship.
Why am I so drawn to giving birth in the U.S.? Here’s why:
- Automatic American citizenship for the baby.
- Exceptional medical care during childbirth for both the mother and the baby.
- Visa-free entry to 186 countries.
- Financial aid when attending major U.S. universities.
- Access to credit opportunities after turning 21.
- Access to an advanced infrastructure.
The image below shows an African American holding the U.S. flag depicting citizenship.
Image Source: Freepik.com
Why Reconsider U.S. Birthright Citizenship
Over time, immigrants in the U.S. have faced certain challenges, including rising costs, legal limitations, employability issues and more. According to Ballard Brief, More than 2 million highly-skilled immigrants in the United States face challenges such as underemployment and unemployment. Additionally, 25% of immigrants with foreign degrees cannot fully utilize their skills, compared to 18% of highly-skilled U.S-born workers.
Citizenship in the U.S. also becomes more challenging, especially if you don’t have a direct relative who is a citizen. Let’s be real, no one wants to keep enduring the hurdles of long processing times. Don’t forget that it also requires huge financial and personal costs.
Is it getting easier? It’s now harder than you think.
Since President Trump assumed office, his administration has issued several strict and tougher executive orders imparting immigration, birthright citizenship laws and birth tourism. The memo, Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, released by the President, emphasizes these changes. I’ll share some of these newly declared policies below;
- He proposed a travel ban targeting specific countries.
- He would be deporting criminal aliens.
- He would be intensifying restrictions on illegal immigrants
- He reduced asylum seekers’ access to the US.
Check out this news from our vast reporter announcing the end of birthright citizenship in the US.
In a tweet by a popular Nigerian, UK-based Doctor, he notified Nigerians on how the deportation of all non-Americans that have shown support to American-designated terrorist organizations might affect them.
To whom it may concern:
President Trump has issued an executive order allowing the immediate deportation of all non-Americans, including foreign students, for supporting American-designated terrorist organisations like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah.
If you are a nigerian…
— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺 🇬🇧 (@OurFavOnlineDoc) January 22, 2025What impacts will these reforms cause?
For Nigerians like me seeking a better future for my children, these proposed reforms will limit automatic citizenship to children born to non-citizen parents, making obtaining US citizenship at birth more challenging. I also feel this is reducing the overall appeal of birth tourism because families will face stricter immigration measures from now on.
Several users on Twitter have expressed their concerns and different opinions about this new development. In a tweet by a popular political member, he opined that other countries should develop their countries since Trump has shut down the migrant app.
Trump don shut down US Migrant App.
2: Develop your own country.
— Woye (@woye1) January 22, 2025Comments under this tweet agreed to this, urging others to develop their countries in a bid to stop seeking greener pastures in other developed countries. While some other commenters opined that the U.S. is not the only country, they could explore other options.
Should we allow this to pull down our dreams of seeking better futures for our children through citizenship? Certainly not!
Exploring Alternatives to U.S. Birthright Citizenship
Since the United States is no longer an option for birth tourism, here are other alternatives to U.S. birthright citizenship you can consider.
- Canada, just like the U.S., Canada also operates on jus soli. The country grants automatic citizenship to all children born on its soil.
- Bolivia offers citizenship to babies by the principle of jus soli, birth in Bolivia or by jus sanguinis rules, and birth abroad to at least one parent with Bolivian nationality.
- Brazil offers birthright citizenship by birth and by naturalization. Brazilian citizenship enables visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 169 countries and territories, ranking the Brazilian passport 20th.
- Peru Peruvian nationality is also obtained by birth or jus sanguinis, which means by birth abroad to at least one parent with Peruvian nationality. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who has lived in Peru for a given period through naturalization.
- Malta gives foreign citizenship by naturalization, meeting a minimum residence requirement of 5 years. They also offer citizenship to individuals who make a substantial investment in their nation with a shortened residential condition.
- Barbados offers citizenship to babies born upon an aircraft or ship registered in Barbados or belonging to the government.
- Antigua offers citizenship to babies born within the country’s territory. Individuals who invest in the country by purchasing real estate or establishing a business can also apply for citizenship.
- Poland offers citizenship in different ways, including naturalization through recognition. A child born in Poland can be granted citizenship if the parents have been living in Poland for at least 3 years, have a stable income, and have proper housing conditions.
- Costa Rica offers citizenship to babies whose births were recorded in the civil registry of Costa Rica before age 25.
- Germany offers nationality at birth if one of the parents has settled legally in the country for at least 5 years. It is also important that you prove sufficient knowledge of the German language before the naturalization test.
Final Thoughts
In my search for other alternatives to U.S. birthright citizenship, I have discovered that although U.S. citizenship is one of the most powerful, many other countries’ citizenship also offers numerous benefits, which include good education, adequate healthcare access, a high level of security, and opportunities to travel freely to other countries. So, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the U.S. alone. Seeking dual citizenship from these other countries I have listed above can further pave the way for other better opportunities.
Will you explore other countries? Let us know in the comments, and also follow Travelradio. live for more amazing travel tips.
