The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a rule that would require applicants for green cards, visas, and citizenship to disclose their social media handles. Published in the Federal Register, the proposal is part of a broader effort by the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen security screening through more comprehensive background checks.
The new requirement would affect several key immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum, as well as applications for refugee status and petitions for conditional residency removal.
While USCIS has assured that there will be no additional fees beyond standard filing costs, immigration experts are raising concerns about the potential misuse of data and the risk of misinterpreting social media activity. Immigration attorney Jonathan Wasden warned, “It remains unclear how USCIS will interpret posts, how long they will store data, or what guidelines they will use to flag concerns,” adding that online activity taken out of context could lead to unjustified denials.
The agency has opened a 60-day public comment period, inviting individuals and organizations to provide feedback on the proposal before it is finalized. Critics argue that this extra layer of scrutiny could complicate the application process, potentially causing delays and unintended consequences for applicants.
