Ever since Donald Trump was elected as President of the USA, things have looked bleak for not only the people living there but also for people who dreamt of going to the country. Be it talking about constructing a wall on the border or the DACA act, the lives of immigrants has become one big roller-coaster. Unfortunately, things continue to spiral downwards as immigrants will be subjected to an entirely new measure of scrutiny, for their visas.
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that immigrants would be required to submit five years of social media history which includes Twitter and Facebook. This is an extension of the efforts by the previous administration after the San Bernadino attack and places emphasis on “extreme vetting”.
According to a report by CNN, the applicants for a visa would be required to submit other non-compulsory social media handles as well. The administration expects that this decision would influence about 15 million would-be immigrants to the US. The applications for permanent residence will also be included in this, with only a few exceptions for a diplomatic or official visa.
However, the decision will not be implemented immediately. According to the published changes to visa applications, a 60-day clock will start on Friday to give the public the opportunity to comment on the move.
In addition to social media history, the application will also ask for previous telephone numbers, email addresses, prior immigration violations and any family history of involvement in terrorist activities.
This is a huge breach of privacy and is bound to irk people as this will limit even legal immigration to a great extent and make it really cumbersome. The Federal authorities also argue whether the move is necessary for national security.
So, if you want to settle in the US someday, it’s not too late to clear your browsing histories and start fresh! Um… on second thoughts, it might be too late because Facebook already knows. (Too soon?)