Social Media Now Mandatory for US Student Visa Screening, Embassy Tells Nigerians

The United States Mission in Nigeria has introduced a new visa requirement mandating Nigerian applicants for student and exchange visitor visas to make their social media accounts publicly accessible. This directive applies to those applying for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, which cover academic and cultural exchange programs.

The new policy, which took effect immediately, was announced via the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday, July 7, 2025.

“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 notice stated.

According to the U.S. Department of State, this measure is part of a broader strategy to enhance security screening and verify applicant identities during the visa process.

“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,” the statement added.

This policy is in line with the U.S. government’s continued emphasis that obtaining a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that each visa decision is treated as a matter of national security.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the embassy emphasized. “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 ensure their social media profiles are visible to the public before attending their visa interviews.

The new requirement, which was first hinted at on June 18, 2025, has sparked widespread discussion among Nigerian students and prospective exchange visitors, many of whom see it as an added hurdle in an already rigorous application process.