Nigerians now have a harder time obtaining a U.S. visa. A new regulation requiring all visa applicants to submit information about their social media activity over the previous five years has been announced by the US Mission in Nigeria.
The order, which was posted on the Mission’s official X account on Monday, August 18, is a component of the U.S. Department of State’s initiative to strengthen national security by implementing more stringent background checks.
When filling out the DS-160 visa application form, applicants are now required to include all of their social media usernames or handles, including those they have used on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok, the embassy said.
According to the statement, “on the DS-160 visa application form, visa applicants must list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used over the last five years.”
Additionally, the embassy cautioned that omitting this information or giving false information could lead to the denial of the visa, delays in processing, or even disqualification from applying for a visa in the future.
Although the U.S. government maintains that the action will improve security, many Nigerians are worried that it will make an already challenging process even more stressful. Some worry that applicants may be unfairly judged by the policy based on their online behavior.
This action is in line with more comprehensive U.S. visa regulations that have been implemented recently, particularly for students and exchange visitors, who must also allow access to their social media accounts for the purpose of verification.
As the new rule takes effect, Nigerians seeking U.S. visas will now have to think twice before hitting “post” on social media, knowing their digital footprint could play a role in whether they get approved.
