The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a new visa policy requiring all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas to set their social media accounts to “public.”
These visa categories are issued for educational and exchange purposes—F for academic students, M for vocational students, and J for exchange visitors.
In a statement posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria on Monday, the new requirement takes effect 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 notice read.
According to the mission, the policy aims to strengthen the U.S. government’s visa screening and vetting process by enabling officials to better verify applicants’ identities and assess potential security risks.
“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 post stated.
The U.S. Department of State had earlier signaled the change in a June 18, 2025 update on its website. The update emphasized that visa issuance is a matter of national security and not a guaranteed right.
“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 update stated.
It added, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 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 urged to comply with the directive as part of their visa application process moving forward.