U.S. Embassy Warns Nigerian Visa Applicants to Disclose Social Media Handles or Risk Denial and Future Eligibility

Sufi Umar 1 hour ago

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued a reminder that visa applicants must disclose all social media usernames or handles used within the past five years when completing the DS-160 visa application form.

In a statement posted on its official X account, the embassy stressed that applicants are required to certify the accuracy of their submissions before signing and submitting. It further warned that omitting social media details could result in visa denial and may also affect eligibility for future applications.

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… pic.twitter.com/RTju5mjhRY
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) August 18, 2025

The DS-160 form is the standard application for non-immigrant visas to the U.S., covering categories such as tourism, business, study, and temporary work. The inclusion of social media details is part of enhanced vetting measures introduced by the U.S. Department of State in 2019, under which most applicants are required to list all social media platforms they have used in the past five years, along with associated usernames.

The requirement was implemented as part of broader security checks aimed at improving screening processes and preventing identity-related fraud. According to U.S. authorities, social media activity can provide additional information to consular officers assessing visa eligibility.

Applicants are expected to disclose handles across multiple platforms, including widely used networks such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others. The rule applies regardless of how frequently the account was used. Even dormant or inactive accounts within the five-year period must be declared.

While the policy has been in place globally for several years, the embassy’s renewed emphasis suggests a tightening of enforcement in Nigeria, one of the countries with the highest volume of U.S. visa applications in Africa. The reminder comes as the U.S. continues to maintain strict vetting procedures amid rising international mobility and security concerns.

For applicants, accuracy is crucial. Providing incomplete or false information on the DS-160 can be considered misrepresentation, which carries long-term consequences, including permanent ineligibility for U.S. visas.

The embassy’s statement reinforces the need for applicants to carefully review their social media history before submission. It also highlights the growing role of digital footprints in immigration processes worldwide, as more governments adopt similar checks.

By reiterating the policy, the U.S. Embassy aims to ensure transparency in the application process and avoid situations where applicants are penalized for omissions that could have been avoided.

Disclosing social media handles has been a standard part of U.S. visa applications since 2019.

Here’s the background:

In June 2019, the U.S. Department of State began requiring nearly all visa applicants to list social media usernames they had used in the past five years.
The policy applies to both immigrant visas (permanent residency) and non-immigrant visas (tourism, study, business, temporary work, etc.).
Applicants must provide handles for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, Weibo, VKontakte, and others.
The requirement was introduced under the Trump administration as part of enhanced vetting and counterterrorism measures.
It’s estimated to affect about 15 million people annually who apply for U.S. visas worldwide.