The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has urged Kenyans applying for American visas to be fully forthcoming about their use of social media when applying for the application forms.
In a statement on Monday, August 4, the embassy warned that not disclosing social media details could lead to automatic visa denial and even render an applicant ineligible for consideration for any visa in the future.
“Did you know that omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas?” the statement posed.
The embassy clarified that beginning 2019, applicants for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are required to submit their social media identifiers. The move is part of a broader vetting system used by the U.S. government as a means of enhancing national security.
“Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms,” the embassy reiterated.
“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.”
In an earlier directive issued on Friday, July 25, the embassy introduced stricter guidelines for applicants. All candidates for U.S. visas must now list all social media handles or usernames they’ve used over the past five years.
This is a mandatory part of the DS-160 visa application form, which includes tourist, student, and other nonimmigrant visa categories.
Applicants are also expected to make sure that what they provide is correct and complete before they sign and submit their application.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used over the past five years,” the embassy stated. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.”
