State Department expands social media vetting in visa applications to foreign media representatives

The State Department has expanded its social media vetting and monitoring requirements to include applicants for more foreign visa types, according to an internal memo reported by the Daily Signal on Thursday.The expanded order now applies to foreign media representatives and qualified nationals from Mexico and Canada, and their dependents, who are traveling to the United States for business under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The change comes after the State Department last year said student visa applicants with private social media accounts will be required to make their accounts public for screening. It is also required for diplomatic visas and visas for temporary workers and trainees; exchange visitors; international cultural exchange participants; religious workers and witnesses, informants and victims.
“The Department relies on every available source of information during visa screening and vetting to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to national security or public safety,” the memo said. “We apply this rigorous vetting standard consistently across all visa applicants.
“Every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision,” the memo continued. “The United States remains vigilant throughout the visa issuance process to confirm that applicants do not intend to cause harm to Americans or threaten U.S. interests, and that each applicant can credibly demonstrate eligibility for the visa requested—including a genuine intent to abide by the terms of admission.”
“Receiving a U.S. visa remains a privilege granted at the government’s discretion, not an entitlement,” the memo added.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage. 

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