The United States government has directed Nigerian visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames or handles used within the last five years as part of the DS-160 application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria revealed this in a statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, stressing that non-compliance will result in visa denial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVisa 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,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This policy applies to both immigrant and non-immigrant applicants from Nigeria and other countries, forming part of enhanced vetting procedures introduced under the Donald Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of State said the requirement aims to boost national security by enabling consular officers to review applicants\u2019 online presence as part of background checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the DS-160 form, applicants are required to provide usernames from major platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others covering the past five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The form clarifies that only usernames or handles are required, not passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement further noted that applicants must certify all details provided in their visa forms as \u201ctrue and correct\u201d before signing and submitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cApplicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. authorities warned that incomplete or inaccurate disclosure of social media information could cause visa denials, processing delays, or even make applicants ineligible for future visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOmitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,\u201d the statement warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of State has defended the rule as an important safeguard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCollecting this additional information strengthens our process for vetting applicants and confirming their identities,\u201d the department reportedly stated when the rule was first rolled out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"