Nigeria Vows Retaliation Against New U.S. Social Media Visa Rule

The U.S. government has announced that Nigerian visa applicants must now disclose their social media profiles and activities from the past five years, warning that failure to comply could lead to visa denial.

In response, the Nigerian government stated it will adopt reciprocal measures against U.S. citizens.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria confirmed the new requirement in a tweet, noting that noncompliance could also affect eligibility for future entry into the United States.

Vanguard reports that the policy is an expansion of a previous rule targeting international student visa applicants, which required disclosure of social media handles and removal of privacy restrictions for proper vetting. The regulation, part of the Trump administration’s immigration tightening measures, is aimed at “ensuring national security.”

Under the new rule, visa applicants must provide detailed information on all social media platforms they have used in the last five years, including email addresses, usernames, handles, and telephone numbers. Applicants must list all platforms or accounts used, even if multiple usernames or phone numbers were associated with a single platform.

The Mission stated:

“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five 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 on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future U.S visas. Enter information associated with your online presence, including the types of online providers, platforms, applications, and websites that you use to collaborate, share information, and interact with others. List the username, handle, screen name, and other identifiers associated with your social media profile.”