5-year social media history now mandatory for Nigerian visa applicants, says US

The United States Department of State has introduced a new requirement for all Nigerian visa applicants the submission of their social media history covering the past five years.

In an update shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria warned that any applicant who fails to provide complete details of their five-year social media activity risks being denied a visa.

“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.

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“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,” the statement read.

The latest visa requirement for Nigerian applicants followed a raft of stiff migration and deportation policies by the Donald Trump presidency since January, when he assumed office for a second term.

Last month, the US Mission in Nigeria commenced the screening of social media accounts of Nigerian applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to enhance America’s national security. In its update on Monday, the Mission expanded the policy to all categories of visa applicants of Nigerian origin.

Also in July, the US Mission in Nigeria limited non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria to a single-entry with a three-month validity period.

The Mission said the move aligned with the Trump administration’s reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, impacting several countries, including Nigeria.

It said US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, would retain their status and validity.

The Mission said that US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of the US immigration system.

Trump, who took office for the second term on January 20, 2025, vowed mass deportation of “criminal aliens” who illegally gained entry into the United States. Already, mass raids have been carried out at homes, schools, workplaces, and shopping centres where undocumented immigrants were picked up and deported to places like India and Guatemala, among others.

Mixed reactions have trailed Trump’s immigration move, with some commending his action while others begrudge it.

Approximately 376,000 Nigerian immigrants lived in the United States as of 2015, according to official sources. Nigeria is the largest source of African immigration to the United States.

The United States is one of the top destinations for migrating Nigerian youths and the middle class in search of greener pastures. Nigerians in America form a bulk of the total diaspora bulge, which contributes more than $20bn annually to Nigeria’s economy, according to the 2023 data from the World Bank.