IN a significant policy shift, the United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that all Nigerian applicants seeking F, M, and J category nonimmigrant visas, typically granted to students and exchange visitors must now make their personal social media profiles public as part of a tightened visa vetting process.
The new requirement, which took effect immediately, was announced on Monday via the mission’s official account on X (formerly Twitter).
“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 statement read.
According to the US authorities, the change is designed to enhance the screening and vetting procedures already in place for visa applicants. The mission emphasized that social media content will now form a critical part of identity verification and eligibility assessment, particularly in light of national security considerations.
“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 stated.
The embassy reiterated that holding a US visa is not a right, but a privilege, and that all applicants must prove they are seeking entry for lawful and clearly defined purposes.
The announcement follows earlier disclosures made on June 18, 2025, when the US Department of State published updated guidance regarding student and exchange visa applicants.
The policy mandates that applicants for F (academic student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) visas must allow US consular officials to view their digital footprints as part of a comprehensive review of admissibility.
“We will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants,” the State Department said.
Applicants will now be required to manually set their Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and other social platforms to ‘public’, making their posts, photos, likes, and digital activity fully visible to visa officers during application processing.
The policy is expected to affect thousands of Nigerian students and exchange participants, given that Nigeria is one of the top African countries sending students to the United States.
Education experts warn that while the move could strengthen US visa scrutiny, it may also raise privacy concerns for applicants who wish to protect personal content from public view.
“It’s a serious balancing act between national security and personal privacy,” said a Lagos-based international education consultant. “Many students will now need to carefully curate or delete content from their profiles or risk having their visa denied.”
Some students expressed concern that posts made during their teenage years, memes, or even politically themed content could be misinterpreted.
The move aligns with broader global trends in digital surveillance as part of immigration screening, particularly in countries like the US, UK, and Canada where immigration vetting has increasingly incorporated social media data.
The US Department of Homeland Security and State Department have long considered digital behavior a window into applicants’ intentions, especially in a post-9/11 world where national security is paramount.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the statement reiterated.
“The United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission… do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests.”
The new rule applies only to F, M, and J visa categories (students, vocational learners, exchange visitors).
Applicants must adjust privacy settings on all personal social media accounts to ‘public.’
The rule is already in effect for applicants submitting new visa applications.
Posts deemed inappropriate or suggestive of security, moral, or political concerns may affect visa decisions.
There is no official list of disqualifying content, leaving room for subjective interpretation by consular officers.