The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that all non-immigrant visa applicants must now provide details of their social media accounts used over the past five years.
In a statement on Monday, the mission said applicants are required to list all usernames or handles from every platform they have used during this period.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit,” the embassy said.
The mission warned that failure to disclose this information could lead to visa denial and future ineligibility.
The DS-160 is the mandatory online form for most non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1 visas for business visitors, B-2 visas for tourists, F and M visas for students, and H visas for temporary workers such as the H-1B for specialty occupations.
This measure builds on earlier social media vetting policies. In June, international student applicants were required to make their social media accounts public. A month earlier, the Trump administration had suspended student visa appointment scheduling as part of tightened restrictions on applicants deemed hostile. By July, students seeking F, M, and J visas were instructed to adjust privacy settings to “public,” allowing U.S. authorities full access during background checks.
The U.S. government says the requirements are necessary to strengthen national security, even as Washington continues to critique other governments for limiting online freedom. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on foreign nationals who censor Americans on social media, emphasizing that free speech is “one of America’s most cherished rights.”
Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills clarified that the updated visa rules are not meant to punish Nigerian applicants but to enhance both security and service delivery.
