US Mission In Nigeria Requires Five-Year Social Media History From Visa Applicants

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a new requirement for all non-immigrant visa applicants, mandating the disclosure of social media accounts used within the past five years. In a statement released on Monday, the mission said applicants must now provide usernames or handles for every social media platform they have engaged with during that period, as part of the DS-160 visa application form.

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 statement ordered.

The embassy warned that failure to include accurate social media information could result in visa denial and possible ineligibility for future applications.

“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.”

The DS-160 form is the primary online application used by the U.S. Department of State 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 H-1B applicants in speciality occupations.

It will be recalled that weeks ago, the United States Department of State issued a major policy update, announcing that most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas for Nigerian citizens will now be single-entry only and valid for just three months. The announcement, made via the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, took immediate effect.

The U.S. stated that the policy change is part of its global visa reciprocity review, which ensures that visa policies reflect technical, security, and diplomatic considerations. This policy change is affecting many African applicants, as the United States Embassy in Mali earlier issued a new directive, sparking reactions from Malian applicants.

The new directive requires applicants for certain non-immigrant visas, specifically F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange visitor) categories, to set all their social media accounts to ‘public’ as part of the visa application process. On the side, the United States government’s deportation policy has come under fire as reports emerge of secretive deals with some African nations.

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