If you’re planning a trip to the United States any time soon you may want to clean up your act on social media as the country’s new screening requirements just got stricter.
According to a report by the The New York Times, visa applicants are required to submit any information about social media accounts they have used in the past five years.
Supporting Legitimate Travel
These new screening requirements will give the US government access to photos, locations, dates of birth, dates of milestones and other personal data commonly shared on social media.
In a statement to the New York Times the State Department played down the impact of the new requirements saying: “We already request certain contact information, travel history, family member information, and previous addresses from all visa applicants.”
According to officials the new screening requirements were put in place to protect US citizens while supporting legitimate travel to the country.
Planning A Trip To The US?
South Africans heading to the US have been encouraged to apply for their visas at least three months before their planned travel date to secure an appointment for a visa interview the Zululand Observer reports.
If you’re looking to visit the United States as a temporary visitor you will need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa. You can review the current wait time for an interview using the tool available on the Department of State website.
For more information on applying for a US visa you can make use of the Visa Wizard tool on the Department of State Website or visit the Embassy website.
Once all your affairs are in order getting to the United States is a breeze because South African Airways flies directly to two major cities in the US. Visit Flysaa.com for more.
