The United States Mission in Nigeria has introduced a new policy requiring all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas to set their social media profiles to “public” to enable more rigorous background checks.
Announced on Monday via the Mission’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the directive takes immediate effect and applies specifically to Nigerian students and exchange visitors intending to travel to the U.S.
“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 stated.
F, M, and J visas are typically granted to individuals pursuing academic programs, vocational training, or participating in cultural exchange programs in the United States.
According to the U.S. Mission, the move is aimed at enhancing security screening procedures to ensure that applicants meet eligibility requirements and do not pose a threat to U.S. national interests.
“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 Mission added.
The update follows an earlier announcement on June 18, 2025, by the U.S. Department of State, which revealed plans to conduct more thorough vetting of visa applicants’ online activities, particularly those applying for student and exchange visitor visas.
“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,’” the department’s statement said.
The statement emphasized that visa approvals are national security decisions and that the U.S. must ensure all applicants are genuinely qualified and intend to engage only in the activities permitted under the visa they are granted.
