Amanze ChinonyeThe U.S. Mission in Nigeria has stated that social media activity is a central component of its visa screening process, emphasizing that applicants’ digital footprints will be closely reviewed before immigration decisions are made.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria reiterated its commitment to using every available tool to identify applicants who may pose a threat to national security or are otherwise inadmissible.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security. Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms,” the statement said.
This policy, introduced in 2019, requires applicants for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas to submit usernames and handles used on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter ( now X), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and others within the past five years. U.S. officials say this enhances transparency and helps identify red flags that may otherwise go undetected.
It therefore announced that all individuals applying for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas must now adjust their social media account’s privacy settings to “public.”
“Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public,” the post read.
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The policy has faced criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue that it infringes on privacy and could lead to bias or misinterpretation of online content. Despite this, it remains active and is increasingly integrated into the vetting system.
Immigration experts now advise prospective applicants to ensure their online presence aligns with the information provided in their applications. Providing false, incomplete, or misleading details may result in a visa denial or future ineligibility.
This move comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. immigration protocols, with the government rolling out stricter enforcement, increased documentation requirements, and enhanced security measures across various visa categories.
As digital behavior becomes more closely tied to immigration decisions, applicants are urged to approach both the application process and their online activities with increased awareness.
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