REPORT: Trump Administration to Begin Social Media Vetting for Visa Applicants

The Trump administration just won a major victory in regards to visa applicants and more “rigorous” vetting.

The Trump administration announced that is has approved a “new questionnaire for U.S. visa applicants” that will ask for social media accounts and handles that were used over the “last five years” as well as travel history, including the source of funding related to their travel.

The State Department asked for “expedited consideration and ‘emergency review’ from the Office of Management and Budget on May 5” for the new protocol. Fox News confirms that OMB approved the new measures.

Fox News reports:

The State Department proposed new measures for U.S. visa applicants worldwide in order to “more rigorously” evaluate applicants for terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities.

“Collecting additional information from visa applicants whose circumstances suggest a need for further scrutiny will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity,” a State Department official told Fox News. “We estimate these changes would affect only a fraction of one percent of the more than 13 million annual visa applicants worldwide.”

In addition to social media accounts requested from flagged applicants, the State Department will continue to request phone numbers and email addresses used during the last five years, address and employment history during the last 15 years, and names and dates of birth for all children, current and former spouses or partners, and siblings, along with all former and current passport numbers and country of issuance.

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that the questionnaire would help to provide the “best information possible.”

 

Thanks for sharing!