State Department introduces ‘extreme vetting’ questions

The State Department has rolled out a new set of questions for visa applicants who are subject to additional screening, including requests for applicants’ social media handles in the past five years and personal information dating back 15 years.

The questions were published in the Federal Register May 4 and the State Department sought emergency review by the Office of Management and Budget. The request was approved May 23 and remains in effect for six months. The administration could separately seek permanent implementation.

BAL has prepared an FAQ about the new questionnaire and the impact on visa applicants.

Read the full FAQ here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com.

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