New Social Media Disclosure Requirements for Visa Seekers

New forms implemented by the US Department of State will require individuals applying for non-immigrant or immigrant visas to disclose social media accounts. The new requirements apply for both non-immigrant visa applicants completing form DS-160 and immigrant visa applicants completing form DS-260.  The requirement is expected to impact 15 million applicants every year, according to the Department of State’s own numbers.

 

Applicants must now provide the US government with a list of all phone numbers, email addresses, international travel (as well as deportation status) from the last five years.  Further, they must now provide usernames for each social media platform used in the five-year lookback timeframe (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)  While this applies to new visa applicants, even those with existing non-immigrant visa stamps must remain aware that Customs and Border Protection will often review social media accounts in connection with an application to enter the US at an airport or other point of admission.

 

While there are exemptions for some diplomatic visa holders, this promises to be a pervasive and invasive requirement for most travelers to the US moving forward.