U.S. Embassy begins reviewing Nigerian students’ social media profiles during screening process
U.S. Embassy begins reviewing Nigerian students’ social media profiles during screening process
The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are now required to set their social media accounts to “public.”
These visa categories—F, M, and J—are issued by the U.S. government for individuals coming to the country for educational and exchange programs.
The mission stated that making personal social media profiles public is now a mandatory part of the visa application process.
This update was announced on Monday via the official X page of the United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria and is effective immediately.
“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.
According to the post, the change is meant to complement vetting efforts aimed at determining applicants’ identities and their admissibility to the United States.
“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.
The U.S. had previously announced this update in June, emphasizing that a visa “is a privilege, not a right.”
On June 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State posted on its website that under the new guidelines, “we will conduct comprehensive and thorough vetting, including reviewing the online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant categories.”
“To support this vetting process, all applicants for F, M, and J visas will be required to set the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to ‘public,’” the statement explained.
It further stressed, “Every visa decision is a matter of national security. The United States must remain vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those seeking entry do not pose a threat to Americans or national interests. Additionally, all applicants must convincingly demonstrate their eligibility for the visa and confirm their intent to comply with the terms of admission.”
