The majority of U.S. visa applicants are now required to submit social media handles/usernames as part of their applications. This requirement, which was billed as a necessity for national security by the State Department, includes Instagram and Flickr among the 20 social platforms listed on its online application form.
The new requirement applies to both tourism and immigration visas, according to the Associated Press, which reports that in addition to select social media accounts from the past five years, applicants are also required to submit previous email addresses and phone numbers. The requirement was proposed in early 2018.
The State Department includes a number of popular social media services on its application form, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Flickr and even the mostly defunct Google Plus and Myspace. A few social networks popular outside of the U.S. are also included, such as China`s Sina Weibo and Russia`s Vkontakte.
According to a report from The Hill, `Applicants will have the option to say that they do not use social media if that is the case. The official noted that if a visa applicant lies about social media use that they could face `serious immigration consequences` as a result.`
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