CITIZENS COMPASS– The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed that visa applicants may have to submit their social media handles for verification.
This initiative, aimed at strengthening security screening, has sparked concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.
The rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card, according to TravelBiz.
The USCIS has published the proposal in the Federal Register and has invited the public to submit comments during a 60-day period.
The new requirement will extend to several immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum.
Applications for refugee status and petitions for conditional residency removal will also be affected.
Reports indicate that this move by the US Immigration to request social media handles of visa applicants is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to enhance security vetting through more comprehensive background checks.
However, immigration experts have raised concerns about how social media information will be interpreted and used.
