The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made its stand crystal clear. There can be no more conflicts, confusion or controversies. The US immigration authourities have made it clear that your social media posts can lead to rejection or revoking of your US visa. In a statement, the US immigration body USCIS said that they will look at social media accounts and deny visas or residence permits to people who post content considered anti-Semitic by the President Donald Trump's administration.
In a statement issued recently, DHS (Department of Homeland) Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, said, “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here.” This means that the social media posts of those seeking the US visa or those with theb US visa have never been more important.
What are Facebook, Twitter or Instagram posts that can lead to US visa rejection
According to USCIS, posts defined as anti-Semitic will include social media activity in support of militant groups classified by the United States as terrorists, including Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi insurgents.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services "will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting or supporting anti-Semitic terrorism, anti-Semitic terrorist organizations or other anti-Semitic activity as a negative factor" in determining benefits, the statement said.
USCIS' new visa policy effective immediately
USCIS said in a statement that the new policy takes effect immediately and will apply to student visas and requests for permanent resident "Green Cards" to stay in the United States.
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Secretary of State confirms visas of hundreds of international students taken away
The official statement comes after the Trump administration has in the last few weeks reportedly canceled the visas of hundreds of international students studying in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that he has stripped visas for some 300 people and was doing so on a daily basis. Rubio said that non-US citizens do not have the same rights as Americans and that it was at his discretion, not that of judges, to issue or deny visas.