The United States mission in Nigeria has announced that all non-immigrant visa applicants must now provide details of their social media accounts covering the past five years.
Gatekeepers News reports that under the updated policy, applicants are required to disclose usernames or handles from every platform they have used within
that period when completing the DS-160 visa application form.
The embassy noted that failure to provide this information could result in visa denial and possible ineligibility for future applications.
The DS-160 is the mandatory online form for most non-immigrant visa categories, including business (B-1), tourism (B-2), student visas (F and M), and temporary work visas such as H-1B for specialized occupations.
This requirement expands on earlier measures introduced by the US government to increase scrutiny of foreign nationals.
In recent years, international students were instructed to make their social media accounts public, and applicants for F, M, and J visas were directed to adjust their privacy settings to allow US authorities full access during background checks.
The new rules are part of a broader effort to strengthen national security while tightening immigration controls. US officials maintain that the changes are designed to improve both security and service delivery for applicants.
