U.S government don talk say anybody wey dey apply for visa from Nigeria must show all their social media profile and wetin dem don do for the past five years. Dem warn say if person no follow this rule, e fit make dem deny the visa.
But Nigerian Federal Government no waste time, dem talk say dem go reply the new US visa policy with the same kind measure.
US Mission for Nigeria drop the warning yesterday for their official X handle, say anybody wey no follow the rule fit still lose chance to enter US later.
Vanguard report say this new visa rule na extension of one wey dem don do before for international student visa people, wey make dem list their social media and even remove privacy settings so US fit check everything well.
The Mission talk say this rule na part of Trump administration plan to protect national security as dem dey tighten immigration matter.
Under the new rule, people wey wan apply for visa must give info about their User ID, including email address, username, handle, and phone number for all the apps and platforms wey dem don use in the last five years.
If person don use more than one platform or different username, handle or phone number for one platform during that time, dem must list everything inside the DS-160 form.
Dem talk say, “Visa applicants must list all social media usernames or handles of every platform wey dem don use for the last five years inside the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants go swear say the info wey dem put for the form na true before dem sign and submit.”
Dem warn say if person no put their social media info, e fit make dem deny the visa and even stop the person from getting US visa again later.
Dem talk say make you enter all the info wey relate to your online presence, like the kind platform, app or website wey you dey use to share info, collaborate or interact with people. Make you list your username, handle, screen name and any other name wey dey linked to your social media profile.
For another matter wey relate to immigration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) don start to tighten their rule for people wey wan become citizen with one new policy wey dem call ‘Good Moral Character’.
This ‘Good Moral Character’ policy go make immigration officers check more than just criminal record. Dem go dey look the full behaviour of the person, how e dey contribute to society and whether e dey follow community norms.
According to wetin USCIS talk, officers go dey check how person dey live everyday, whether dem dey help their community, whether dem dey follow US law and social rules. This fit include things like volunteering, doing community work, finishing school or continuing education, getting legal work wey steady, and paying tax on time among other things.
As dem take react to the new US visa rule, the spokesperson for Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, talk say the Ministry don already sabi the matter, as US Mission for Nigeria don inform dem before dem announce am.
But he still talk say Nigerian Federal Government go do back the same way, say US citizens wey wan come Nigeria go face the same kind requirement.
He talk say, “We don sabi the matter. I believe say na part of the new plan wey dem don tell us before say dem go start. Dem don mention those things before.
“So, for matter like this, the best thing we fit do na to do back the same way. If some people from US wan apply for visa, we go use the same method for dem.
“I believe say na wetin government go do because anything wey concern visa na two-way. Wetin you dey force our people to do, we go also force your people wey dey apply for our visa to do,” he talk.
He still add say Federal Government go gather different agencies for meeting to decide the best way to take respond to the new visa rule.
Ebienfa still talk say, “Government go do meeting wey go carry everybody join: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and our National Intelligence Agency, NIA.
“So, all the people wey get hand for the matter go sit down talk and agree on the best way to take handle the issue well-well.”
Make we remember say the announcement wey happen yesterday na follow body for the plenty travel wahala and visa restriction wey US don dey put for Nigerians recently, as part of Trump administration plan to reduce even legal migration.
Just recently, US don limit most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas wey dem dey give Nigerians to only single-entry visa wey go last just three months. Dem talk say na because of visa overstay and to balance wetin Nigeria dey do too.
The Mission talk say this move na part of US Department of State global visa reciprocity process. Dem describe am as “something wey dey go on steady and fit change anytime, like to increase or reduce how many times person fit enter and how long the visa go last.”
Dem explain say the reason behind the new policy na to protect the US immigration system make e no spoil.
US government don still do other things to restrict visa for Nigerians, including threat say if person overstay visa, dem fit deny visa next time or even ban the person from entering US again.
