The US has announced that failure to include social media usernames in visa applications could now lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future US visas. This announcement was made by the US Mission in Nigeria in a social media post on Monday.
New Rules
Under the new rules, US visa applicants would now be required to provide the usernames to each of the social media platforms they have used in the last five years before the application date.
This information would be contained on the DS-160 visa application form, following which applicants have to certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.
If they have used more than one platform (or more than one username, handle, or telephone number on a single platform), applicants are expected to add the usernames individually.
This broad rule comes after applicants for student visas were earlier required to grant consular officers full access to their social media accounts following the resumption of student visa interviews in June.
The US State Department at the time described the social media checks as necessary to identify applicants who may pose ideological threats to U.S. values, institutions, or citizens.