The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced new requirements for visa applicants, mandating the disclosure of all social media usernames and handles used in the past five years.
The directive, which was communicated on Monday via the Mission’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, is part of the U.S. government’s broader efforts to strengthen national security through enhanced screening measures.
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According to the Mission, all Nigerian applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles when completing the DS-160 visa application form.
“Failure to do so, it warned, could result in immediate visa denial and even future ineligibility for U.S. visas.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form,” the statement read.
The Mission further emphasized that applicants are required to certify that all information provided is accurate before signing and submitting their application.
Any omission or falsification, it cautioned, would be treated as a serious violation that could affect both current and future applications. The new directive, according to the U.S. Department of State, is aimed at leveraging digital footprints in the vetting process, reflecting a growing global trend where governments use online activity as part of background checks.
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This development, according to observers will affect thousands of Nigerians applying for different categories of U.S. visas annually.
