The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has announced a new directive requiring all visa applicants to disclose their social media history—specifically, usernames or handles used across all platforms over the past five years—when completing the DS-160 visa application form. The policy was communicated today via the U.S. Mission’s official X account and is already in effect.
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Applicants must list every username or handle they have used in the last five years on platforms like Facebook, AInstagram, Twitter (X), and others.
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The DS-160 form, used for non-immigrant visa applications (such as tourism, business, student, or work visas), now consists of this added requirement.
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The embassy warns that failure to provide this information could result in visa denial and may also affect eligibility for future U.S. visa applications.
This requirement marks an escalation in the vetting process and underscores the U.S. Department of State’s growing reliance on digital footprints to assess applicant credibility and potential security risks.
