FG To Apply Social Media Rules To US Visa Applicants
The Federal Government has announced plans to reciprocate a new US visa policy that requires Nigerian applicants to disclose their social media profiles and activity from the past five years.
The US Mission had directed that Nigerian visa applicants provide a full list of all social media usernames or handles used in the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Failure to provide the information could lead to visa denial and possible ineligibility for future US visas.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form.
“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
Reacting to the development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government is aware of the new requirement and will take reciprocal action. US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will face similar measures, he added.
“We are aware of the development. I think it’s part of the new measures they informed us before now that they will implement. Well, they mentioned those issues before.
“So, on things of this nature, the best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures.
‘’I think that’s what the government might do because anything visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,’’ he said.
Continuing, he said the FG will convene an inter-agency meeting to agree on the best way to respond to the new visa regulation.
“So, the stakeholders that are involved will have a meeting and agree on our best way to respond to it holistically.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
