Nigerian visa applicants must disclose 5-year social media history, U.S. Mission says

The United States Mission in Nigeria has directed visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames and handles they have used over the past five years.

It warned that failure to do so could result in visa denial and future ineligibility.

The directive was announced in a post on the Mission’s official X account on Monday. It follows the U.S. Department of State’s broader push to tighten security checks for people seeking entry into the country.

“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 visa application form,” the U.S. Mission stated.

“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” it added.

The measure forms part of enhanced vetting procedures that were first introduced by the Trump administration in 2019, when the State Department expanded its security screening to require nearly all visa applicants worldwide to provide social media identifiers.

The policy, which was maintained under subsequent administrations, was designed to allow U.S. officials to review applicants’ online activity for potential security risks.

The renewed emphasis in Nigeria comes at a time of growing scrutiny of migration flows into the U.S.

In July, Washington revised its visa reciprocity arrangement with Nigeria, introducing more restrictive terms for most non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas.

Effective immediately, most Nigerians seeking to enter the U.S. are only being issued single-entry visas valid for three months, a sharp departure from the longer multiple-entry visas that many previously received.

The change was justified by the U.S. government as an effort to align global visa standards with its immigration and security protocols, though it drew criticism in Nigeria as another barrier for travellers, students, and businesspeople.