Nigeria Required to Submit 5-Year Social Media History for U.S. Visa Applications

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria recently issued a firm directive: all U.S. visa applicants residing in Nigeria must now provide the usernames or handles for every social media account they’ve used over the past five years when completing the DS-160 application form. The requirement spans all visa categories- student, tourist, work, and beyond and is non-negotiable. Omissions or inaccuracies can result in visa denial and long-term ineligibility.   

This policy isn’t new, it builds on a vetting trend that began in 2019. The DS-160 form was updated to capture social media identifiers as part of efforts to strengthen national security and identity verification. While originally limited to certain visa categories, the requirement has now widened to include nearly all non-immigrant applicants.    

This policy isn’t for Nigerians only, around the globe, visa applicants are being asked to disclose social media handles, partly to assess ideological or security risks. In some cases, applicants must even enable access to their accounts for review.    

The Federal Government of Nigeria has signaled it will reciprocate. Following the U.S. announcement, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, in the spirit of reciprocity, Americans applying for Nigerian visas may now also be required to disclose five years of social media information.   

This development show how digital footprints now play a central role in immigration with online history becoming as vital as travel or employment records. As this policy rolls out, applicants must tread carefully, ensuring full transparency while grappling with the implications for privacy and expression.

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