Get a visa to enter the United States It represents a central objective for thousands of Colombians seeking to travel through tourism, studies, work or family gathering. And in a global scenario where migratory restrictions are increasingly strict, the procedure has acquired a strategic value, both for high demand and the new conditions that the US government imposes on applicants. What is the requirement that many overlook when gathering their documentation?
Beyond the costs and waiting times, there is a requirement that many do not know when requesting a visa for the United States: declare their social networks.
Since May 31, 2019, the State Department updated the immigrant and non -immigrant visa application forms to demand the majority of Applicants presenting their profiles on digital platforms.
This measure aims to strengthen the background safety and verification mechanisms, allowing US authorities to contrast the information declared with the online activity of each applicant.
The truth is that omitting this information or falsifying it can bring negative consequences, ranging from delays in the process to the definitive denial of the visa.
This requirement reflects how migratory processes have adapted to the digital era, where social networks are part of each person’s public identity. Therefore, experts recommend carefully checking which information appears visible in these profiles before making the application.
Also, since June, the State Department He announced the requirement to the applicants of student or exchange visas configure the privacy of their social networks profiles to “public” in order to review their content.
The new guideline applies to those who start the process to obtain lAs visas of type F, M and J, categories under which students, academic visitors and participants of exchange programs are framed, respectively.
This happens in a framework where consular officials have received the order to examine the digital profiles of all applicants in search of “any indication of hostility towards citizens, culture, government, institutions or the foundational principles of the United States.”
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The importance of visa to the United States
Visa to the United States
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The importance of this document is that it constitutes the entrance door to one of the most demanded destinations in the world, with implications that transcend the individual: access to educational, labor and business opportunities, as well as the impulse to international tourism. It is no accident that, in Colombia, every year tens of thousands of people reserve appointments at the consular headquarters of Bogotá, Medellín and other cities, even with waiting times that sometimes exceed six months.
The panorama has become even more complex with the latest legal provisions approved in the United States. The State Department reported that the cost of non-immigrant visas-as the B-1/B-2 for tourists and businesses-will increase due to the incorporation of a “Integrity rate” of $ 250.
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Although it is a reimbursable deposit, they can only recover that money who meet three conditions: not exceed the authorized time of stay, not work illegally and leave the country within five days after the expiration of the permit or, failing that, having requested an extension within the legal deadlines.
This scheme has generated restlessness in academic, tourist and global mobility sectors, since the increase significantly increases access to the visa, especially for applicants from countries with weak coins against the dollar.
