Visa: US Embassy begins screening Nigerian students’ social media accounts

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a new visa requirement mandating all Nigerian applicants seeking F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas to make their social media accounts publicly accessible, in a move aimed at enhancing security screening processes.

F, M, and J visas are designated for students and exchange visitors traveling to the U.S. for academic and cultural programs.

According to a post on the Mission’s official X handle on Monday, the directive takes immediate effect and is part of efforts to deepen the vetting process for visa applicants.

“Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public,’” the statement read.

The U.S. Department of State emphasized that the measure is critical to verifying applicant identities and ensuring national security.

“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security,” it stated.

The new guidance, first flagged on June 18, 2025, underscores that obtaining a U.S. visa remains a privilege, not a right.

It also confirms that comprehensive online scrutiny will now be part of the eligibility assessment for prospective students and exchange visitors.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the embassy added. “The United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests.”

Applicants are now advised to comply by making all personal social media profiles publicly visible before attending visa interviews.

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