The United States government has mandated Nigerian visa applicants to disclose their social media profiles and activities covering the last five years, warning that failure to comply with this requirement could result in visa denial.
In response, the Federal Government of Nigeria swiftly vowed to reciprocate the new US visa policy with equal measures.
The US Mission in Nigeria issued the warning via a tweet on its official X handle, stating that applicants who omit or misrepresent their social media information may also be denied future entry into the United States.
The rule is an expansion of earlier regulations initially targeting international student visa applicants.
It requires disclosure of all social media usernames, handles, emails, phone numbers, and accounts used on various platforms within the last five years during the visa application process.
Applicants must certify the accuracy of their submissions when completing the DS-160 visa application form, listing all social media identifiers for proper vetting. Omissions could lead to visa denial and long-term ineligibility.
Alongside this, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has introduced a ‘Good Moral Character’ policy tightening citizenship guidelines.
Immigration officers will now evaluate applicants on holistic criteria, including community contributions, law adherence, education, steady legal employment, and timely tax payments, beyond criminal record checks.
