Beginning May 31, 2019, individuals applying for either nonimmigrant or immigrant visas to the United States will need to provide information on their social media accounts for the last five years.  This includes their user names or handle for each platform, but not their passwords.

Applicants completing Form DS-160 or DS-260 will be provided a drop down list of common social media platforms, which includes: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and more. The new question affects over 15 million immigrant and nonimmigrant applicants while most diplomatic and official visa applicants are excluded. Applicants who fail to disclose their social media history may have their visa applications denied. If an account was active within the last five years, traces may still be found even if deleted.  As such, it is best to be as thorough as possible in answering this question.

According to the Department of State, the information is to confirm an applicant’s identity and assess potential visa fraud such as validating legitimate relationships or employment and detecting terrorist sentiment and activity.

This alert is for informational purposes only.  If you would like to discuss this development further, please contact us at nadia@nadiayakooblaw.com.