Enterline & Partners Consulting | info@enterlinepartners.com

Search
Close this search box.

U.S. To Require Visa Applicants To Disclose Social Media Handles

U.S. visa applicants will now be required to provide their social media identities on social media platforms during the five years preceding the date of application – with an option to voluntarily list other handles not explicitly required.

The new requirement follows the Trump administration’s promise of “extreme vetting” of foreigners entering the U.S. for national security.

This is an extension of the previous administration’s instructions to collect social media identifiers when the State Department determines “that such information is required to confirm identity or conduct more rigorous national security vetting.”

Greater attention was placed on immigrants’ social media use after it was revealed that one of the attackers of the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack had, under a pseudonym, advocated Jihad in posts on a private social media account. Authorities did not find the account until after she was allowed entry into the United States and had carried on the attack.

Approximately 15 million people will be affected annually, including applicants for permanent residency.

Some expressed their concerns on the proposal’s effects on freedom of speech and association and on privacy.

On a more practical note, critics also complain that the proposal could make it harder to legally immigrate to the U.S. as the proposal could make the process slower.

In addition to social media handles, U.S. visa applicants are also required to submit five years of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, and international travel, and whether specified family members have been involved in terrorist activities, regardless of visa application type. For applicants for Immigrant Visas, applicants will be required to disclose all prior immigration violations, while applicants for Nonimmigrant Visas will be asked whether they have been deported or removed from any country, not just the United States.

The State Department intends not to routinely ask the question of applicants for most diplomatic and official visa applicants.

 

ENTERLINE & PARTNERS CONSULTING
Ad: 3F, IBC building, 1A Cong Truong Me Linh Str, District 1, HCMC.
Tel: 0933 301 488
CATEGORY
time
recent posts
CTA_Collection

Over 18,000 successful customers with Enterline &
Partners, realizing the dream of immigration

Latest News

Can I send my Absentee Ballot to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for the Upcoming Presidential Election?

We have previously discussed who is eligible to vote in U.S. elections and how American citizens abroad (i.e. Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan) can send their ballots by mail or use designated dropboxes to vote for their presidential and state and local candidates. U.S. citizens who are unable to physically drop off their ballots at certain locations in Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan may also mail their ballots directly to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, the U.S. Embassy in Manila, or the American Institute in Taiwan in Taipei at the following addresses: U.S. Consulate Ho Chi Minh CityAmerican Citizen Services Unit4 Le Duan Blvd. District 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam U.S. Embassy ManilaAmerican Citizen Services Unit1201 Roxas Blvd.Manila, Philippines 1000 American Institute of TaiwanAmerican Citizen Services Unit100 Jinhu Road Neihu DistrictTaipei, Taiwan 114017 When sending sealed ballots to the addresses above, registered voters will need two envelopes.

Read more >

Who can vote in the U.S. Presidential Election?

With the U.S. Presidential Election just days away, American citizens in the United States and abroad will take part in electing the 47th President of the United States. Although the current front runners are Vice-President Kamala D. Harris for the Democrat Party and former President Donald J. Trump for the Republican Party, other third-party candidates are also running. These candidates include Green Party Candidate Jill Stein, M.D and former Harvard University Professor and Princeton University Emeritus Cornel West. In order to vote in the Presidential Elections, you must be a U.S. citizen either by birth or through naturalization. You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age by election day although you may be able to register to vote before election day if you will be 18 years old on election day. Please confirm with your state requirements at https://www.usa.gov/voter-registration. If you have questions about whether you may vote

Read more >