Visitors to the US could soon have to undergo an interview with US officials under tight new border control laws, according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper claims to have been given access to an executive order being contemplated by President Donald Trump on refugees and immigration.
The Los Angeles Times claims that the existing US visa program faces suspension under the proposals. It enables citizens from as many as 38 different countries to gain a 90-day tourist US visa, allowing entry to the country just by completing an online biographical information form. Instead, prospective visitors would have to undergo a personal interview before being allowed access to the US.
The draft executive order allegedly states that the Visa Interview Waiver program will be immediately suspended and that all individuals seeking to gain a non-immigrant US visa will have to take part in an in-person interview, apart from those subject to particular statutory exceptions. The move would be consistent with actions recently taken by the new US President, who is also considering restricting US visas from certain troubled nations, such as Syria, Iran, and Iraq.
Trump has already begun fulfilling several promises made during last year’s Presidential election campaign. These include the imposition of strict new immigration procedures and moves to begin the construction of a border wall between the US and Mexico – both condemned by immigration advocates but celebrated by his Congressional Republican allies.