Travelers are set to face long delays, thanks to increased security procedures for vetting several US visa applicants at American embassies all over the world. This was according to immigration advocates and lawyers on Friday, with governments scrutinizing everything, from social media accounts to work histories.
Last week, Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, signed a cable featuring new directives that anyone who had ever been in Islamic State territory would have to mandatorily face a review of their social media accounts. This decision could affect many Iraqis who have made US visa applications, despite the country being taken off the list of countries hit with a travel ban in the executive order, which was signed by President Donald Trump in January.
Until recently, reviews of the social media pages of individuals applying for US visas have only been conducted on the discretion of the consular officials responsible for denying or approving US visas. Further screening measures are also on the way, with Tillerson ordering consulates to develop criteria that help to identify applicants from areas warranting extra scrutiny.
The new standards, from the cable issued on 17 March, are still being refined. Others merely reiterate current procedures, but make it clear that extreme vetting is still a priority for the Trump administration, regardless of the rulings of federal court judges who have placed injunctions on some aspects of the travel ban.