US visa applicants now face 'thorough vetting' of social media accounts
Irish people are being warned as new requirements for visa applications to the US will include listing all social media accounts used by applicants from the last five years.
Applicants for F,M and J non-immigrant US visas will be required to ensure the privacy settings on social media accounts are public in new measures introduced by the US embassy in Dublin.
The information will be required when filling out the DS-160 visa application form. Irish people are being warned as new requirements to visa applications to the US will include listing all social media accounts used by applicants from the last five years. Pic: Shutterstock
A statement from the US embassy in Dublin released on Monday confirmed that any social media information not provided could result in visa denial as well as 'ineligibility for future visas.'
The US Embassy said that obtaining a visa for the States was a 'privilege, not a right' as they highlighted every decision was one made by national security.
In the statement, they revealed they would be starting back scheduling for non-immigrant visa applications soon. The US Embassy said that obtaining a visa for the States was a 'privilege, not a right' as they highlighted every decision was one made by national security. Pic: Shutterstock
The statement said the US had to be 'vigilant' during the visa process to ensure those applying for admission did not intend to 'harm Americans and our national interests.'
It added that 'all applicants [must] credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.'
They said: 'The US Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and pubic safety through our visa process.' The new stepped-up social media scrutiny policy comes as Donald Trump continues to crack down on anyone deemed as subversive or expressing anti-American or anti-Semitic opinions, with students in particular being advised to 'tread lightly' with their online footprint. Pic:They added that they would be conducting 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' which includes online presence for student and exchange visitor applicants.
The new vetting measures will build upon a previous statement issued last month from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing that the agency will be taking into account 'antisemitic activity on social media' as 'grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.'
Purging or deleting media presence in its entirety could also be grounds for refusal.
Reacting to the news, Taoiseach Micheal Martin told reporters in Dublin that there is an issue 'around freedom of speech'.
'I believe those measures by the United States are excessive,' he said.
'I don't approve of them. I don't agree with them. One of the great things in the world, in the modern world, has been the capacity for young people to travel and mobility is important.
'The US is probably one of the more difficult countries to to get into, at times. There is an issue around freedom of speech, but it's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling.
'My understanding is applications are down in terms of J1 (visas). We have witnessed a pause on the processing of J1 most recently.
'There's been a longstanding, obviously, relationship with America in terms of young people travelling and American young people travelling to Ireland.
'In the context of the European Union, we would love to have young citizens from the United Kingdom travelling freely across Europe. That's the Irish position, and vice versa.
'I understand the security, but I think good intelligence and good security can stymie anyone who would be out to attack a country or attack America. I understand that. I get that, but I think it is excessive in respect of the measures announced today.'
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