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US expands social media checks for visas; includes some Mexicans, foreign journalists
🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

US expands social media checks for visas; includes some Mexicans, foreign journalists

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The U.S. State Department is expanding social media checks for visa applicants, including foreign journalists and certain citizens of Mexico and Canada.
  • This policy aims to verify applicants' eligibility and ensure they do not pose a security risk to the United States.
  • Critics, including NGOs, have raised concerns about privacy violations, while the Trump administration framed visa entry as a privilege, not a right.

The United States is broadening its scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking visas by expanding social media reviews, a policy that now includes foreign journalists and specific citizens from Mexico and Canada. This move is part of an intensified immigration policy framework.

A State Department spokesperson stated that the online profile checks are designed to confirm that visa applicants meet U.S. legal requirements and do not present a security threat. This practice is already in place for various visa categories, such as those for students and cultural exchange participants, who must make their online profiles public.

The expanded requirements will affect citizens of Mexico and Canada entering the U.S. for business under the USMCA trade agreement, as well as their dependents. Affected applicants must set their social media privacy settings to public or open.

The control of online profiles has the objective of allowing applicants to demonstrate that they meet the requirements to obtain a visa under U.S. legislation and to ensure that no person represents a risk to the security of the United States.

— State Department spokespersonExplaining the purpose of expanded social media checks for visa applicants.

Non-governmental organizations have voiced criticism, citing concerns over privacy rights. The policy aligns with former President Donald Trump's focus on combating illegal immigration and restricting legal entry. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously stated that obtaining a visa is a privilege, not an entitlement.

Additionally, new regulations propose limiting foreign journalists' stays in the U.S. to approximately eight months, with the possibility of extensions. These rules are set to take effect unless blocked by Congress.

Having a visa is a privilege and not a right.

— Antony BlinkenU.S. Secretary of State's stance on the nature of visa acquisition.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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