By The United States Mission in Nigeria, on Monday, August 18, issued a formal directive to visa applicants, requiring the disclosure of all social media usernames and handles utilised over the past five years as an integral part of the visa application procedure. This directive, communicated via a post on the Mission’s official X account, follows the recent reaffirmation by the U.S. Department of State of its dedication to enhancing national security through improved screening protocols.
The U.S. Mission has stated that Nigerian visa applicants must provide a complete list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form.
The post stated, “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used in the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit it. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.” The U.S. Mission has cautioned that failure to include this information may result in visa denials and could affect future eligibility for U.S. visas.
