The U.S. government has announced that Nigerian visa applicants must now disclose all social media accounts and activities from the past five years, warning that failure to comply could result in visa denial or future ineligibility.
In response, the Nigerian Federal Government stated it would reciprocate the measure with equivalent actions.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria shared the update via its official X account, noting that the policy expands an earlier rule that applied only to international student visa applicants, who were previously required to list and remove privacy settings from their social media accounts for vetting purposes.
According to the Mission, the regulation is part of efforts by the Trump administration to “ensure national security” amid tightened immigration controls.
Under the new rule, all visa applicants must provide details such as email addresses, usernames, handles, and phone numbers associated with every social media platform they have used in the last five years. Those who have used multiple platforms, or multiple usernames or handles on the same platform during that period, must also list them in the DS-160 form.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information provided is true and correct before submission. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future U.S. visas,” the Mission stated.
Applicants are instructed to include all identifiers linked to their online presence, covering platforms, applications, and websites used to share information and interact with others.
