In the administration of Donald trump has launched a new questionnaire for applicants for U.S. visas worldwide, according to Reuters.
Now the questionnaire asks for information on activity in the social networks of the applicant for five years, and biographical information you need to provide over the past 15 years.
A new questionnaire was approved, despite criticism from scientists and representatives of the Ministry of education. Critics have argued that it will only lead to delays in processing and hinder the inflow of foreign students and scholars in the United States.
Under the new requirements, the staff of consulates may request all previous passports, as well as nicknames and accounts in all social networks over the past five years. In addition, at the request of the Consulate, the applicant will have to provide e-mail addresses, phone numbers and biographical information for 15 years, including all addresses of residence, work and travel history.
«Officials will request additional information if they decide that it is necessary to confirm identity or to conduct more stringent checks. This is done for national security,» — said the official representative of the state Department.
This information in the questionnaire is not mandatory, but if you don’t want to provide it, this can result in a long delay in obtaining visas or even denial of the application processing.
Advocates say it is unlikely the applicant remembers all my Internet history for 15 years, and «innocent» errors in social networks in the past, can cost a person a visa.
«New questions give power to the representatives of the Consulate subjectively decide who gets a visa and to check the correctness of that decision would be impossible», — said Babak Yusefzadeh, a lawyer from San Francisco.
«In the U.S. the process of applying for a visa and so one of the strictest in the world. I do not understand the need for further tightening,» — says the lawyer.
