The United States of America Embassy in Nairobi issued a new directive requiring all Kenyans applying for a Visa to list all their social media usernames or handles on every platform.
The embassy, in a statement on Friday, said the social media details – dating back the last five years – should be indicated on the DS-160 Visa application form.
The DS-160 Visa grants one temporary travel to the U.S, be it for tourism, business, studies, or medical treatment.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form,” read the statement from the embassy. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.”
“Omitting social media information on your application could lead to visa denial or ineligibility for future U.S Visas,” the statement said.
The directive was announced as part of an enhanced tourist screening process established to safeguard national security and public interests.
In June 2025, the United States’ Department of State announced increased vetting and screening measures to deter illegal entry into the North American nation, where they directed Visa applicants who set their social media account settings to private, to readjust them to public to allow for in-depth analysis and determination on whether their entry to the US is warranted or not.
“The State Department is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” read a statement then.
“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. Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications.”
The directives are part of a series of directives by the President Donald Trump-led administration to curb illegal immigration, a policy that was extensively referenced to when he ran for a second term in office in late 2024.
A notice on the website added the requirements are necessary.
“Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law.”
“Pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation on Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025, the United States is suspending or limiting entry and visa issuance to nationals of certain countries,” it added.
Applicants who are subject to this Presidential Proclamation may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States.
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