The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the commencement of fresh guidelines for all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes in the US.

The consulate noted that all F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas must now adjust their social media accounts’ privacy settings to “public,” in its new social media rule.

The mission stated that applicants in those categories must now set their personal social media profiles to public as part of a new visa requirement.

This was made known on the United States Diplomatic Mission Nigeria’s official X page on Monday.

The US embassy noted the update was effective 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,’” it read.

According to the consulate, the change is meant to complement vetting efforts aimed at determining applicants’ identities and their admissibility to the United States.

Recall that on June 18, 2025, the US Department of State published on its website that under the new guidance, which would require the vetting of F, M, and J nonimmigrant classification applicants social media accounts.

The US had maintained that its visa “is a privilege, not a right.”