Contrary to the widely held notions in the polity that to deliver a baby in the United States, a pregnant woman has to conceal her pregnancy during her visa interview and while entering the US, or she has to travel before her pregnancy starts to show, the US Embassy has clarified that it is okay to decide to have a baby in the country.
This is against the backdrop of the practise where some Nigerians deliberately lie during visa interviews in their bid to secure automatic US citizenship for their children.
The Embassy outlined some conditions which have to be met before such a visa which falls under medical tourism category is issued.
This it said, is necessary to encourage applicants to be truthful during visa interviews.
One: The applicant has to show proof of available funds of at least $140,000 (about N22 million) to pay medical fees, and secondly, the applicant has to show proof of the need for medical attention in the US such as high risk pregnancy and the likes.
US Embassy Chief of Consular Section, Ms. Carol Cox, in an interview with select journalists in Abuja, yesterday disclosed that it would cost at least $60,000 to have a baby in the US.
In instances where complications arise from the delivery, the medical bills may go as high as $140,000.
Availability of the funds, Cox said is very important as it is necessary to ensure that American taxpayers do not have to pay such bills.
“We owe the American public who pay taxes to make sure that those who seek medical services in the US pay for such services. This is essential because there are those who have the money and are not willing to pay.
“It is very frustrating when you see a woman who is obviously pregnant, sometimes seven months gone, tell you during a visa interview that she is just going to the US for a vacation,” she said.
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