US visa vetting: Hand over email IDs, social media handles and job history

Includes social media checks; critics argue the new questions would be overly burdensome

The Trump administration has rolled out a new questionnaire for US visa applicants worldwide that asks for social media handles for the past five years and biographical information going back 15 years.

The new questions, part of an effort to tighten vetting of would-be visitors to the United States, was approved on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget despite criticism from a range of education officials and academic groups during a public comment period. Critics argued that the new questions would be overly burdensome, lead to long delays in processing and discourage international students and scientists from