U.S. Visa Policy: Social Media Posts to Be Reviewed

Important news for people going to the U.S. for studies or jobs: The U.S. government will now decide on issuing visas based on your social media posts. This decision is linked to national security. If you have posted anything controversial on your social media accounts, you may not get a visa. President Donald Trump’s administration has announced that the social media activity of immigrants coming to the U.S. will be reviewed.

According to a Bloomberg Law report, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealed this proposal on Tuesday. USCIS stated that this decision aligns with national security and anti-terrorism executive orders. Under this policy, social media information of visa applicants and those seeking other immigration benefits will be collected. It has been stated that this measure aims to improve the visa process compared to before.

USCIS mentioned that this step has been taken following the executive order issued on January 20. In that order, President Donald Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to implement measures ensuring a thorough review of immigrants. A notice regarding this proposal will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. After that, the public will have 60 days to comment on the proposed changes. People will have the option to share the advantages and disadvantages of this policy.

USCIS stated that collecting social media data will help verify applicants’ identities, assess their eligibility for immigration benefits, and determine potential security or public safety risks. However, the notice does not specify which types of visas or immigration benefits will be affected by this policy change. Officials, however, believe that this initiative is necessary to establish stricter evaluation standards for immigration applications.