Wednesday, November 19, 2025 - The US Mission in Nigeria has issued a warning to visa applicants about the online scrutiny they may face as part of the application process.
According to the mission, in a post on X yesterday, consular
officers search publicly available information about applicants online, a
policy geared towards guaranteeing the safety of US citizens and visitors.
“What is online presence review? Our consular officers
search publicly available information about visa applicants from all countries
online to protect the safety of U.S. citizens and visitors to the United
States,” the US Mission said.
The US had in recent times expanded screening and vetting
for visa applicants with the introduction of social media checks, mandating
applicants to list their social media handles and online activities in the five
years prior to visa application.
Applicants were also directed to remove privacy settings
from their social media handles to allow for the screening and vetting process.
According to the US government, the new visa guidance will
uphold the highest standards of national security and public safety throughout
the visa process.
The Department of State in the new guidance said: “ The
State Department is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by
upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through
our visa process. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.
“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. Under new
guidance, 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.
“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.”
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