US visa applicants to submit 5-year social media history

United States Mission in Nigeria has directed all visa applicants to submit their social media usernames and handles used in the last five years as part of their application. The directive was announced on Monday in a post on the Mission’s official X handle, following the U.S. Department of State’s move to strengthen national security with tighter screening measures. According to the Mission, Nigerian visa applicants are now required to provide a full list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form.
It warned that leaving out such information could lead to visa refusal and affect future applications. The post read: “Visa 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. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”