Remove Social Media Privacy; US Embassy Tells Nigerian Visa Applicants
The United States Mission in Nigeria has made it mandatory that all those seeking F, M, and J non-immigrant visas must adjust their personal social media accounts’ privacy settings to “public” to enable more thorough background checks.
The new directive, announced on Monday through the Mission’s official X page, is effective immediately for students and exchange visitors intending to travel to the United States.
“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 post read.
F, M, and J visas are issued to nonimmigrant individuals travelling for educational and cultural exchange purposes.
The Mission explained that the policy will enable comprehensive screening to verify applicants’ identities and admissibility.
“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 US national security,” the post said.
Earlier on 18 June 2025, the US Department of State published the planned update on its website, stating that it would carry out more extensive vetting, including applicants’ online presence.
“We will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications,” the statement read.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public.’”
The statement added, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.
“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 and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”
