If your upcoming travel plans include a visit to the US then you better hope that you can remember your Myspace handle.
That’s because new US immigration laws require all visitors to the country, including short terms tourists, to disclose five years worth of social media handles to authorities.
The additional security step was first proposed in March and has now been added to visa application forms. This includes all B1 and B2 visas — which are issued for business or leisure travel for temporary visitors.
In the past, such digital details were only asked for from visa applicants that were flagged for extra security. US Customs and Border Protection have said that additional social media information will give it extra investigative tools.
Do I need to handover my social media details?
Travellers that are exempt for US visas under the US Waiver scheme will not need to provide this information.
This includes tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France and various other European countries as well as other nations including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan. Travellers from these countries with valid passports can continue to use the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) online system.
However, travellers from countries listed on the US Waiver scheme that plan to stay in the US for over 90 days, or flying there on private aircraft must apply for a non-immigrant visas, and provide the requested social media details. The same applies to dual citizens of certain countries.
Some diplomats and officials will be excluded from providing this information.
Are all social media sites included?
There are 19 social media sites listed on the US authority’s visa application.
As well as the big hitters like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube, other sites include LinkedIn, Google+, Flickr, Tumblr, Reddit, Vine and Ask.fm.
Chinese social sites Douban, QZone, Weibo and Youku are also listed, as is Russia’s most popular social media platform VKontakte, or VK. Even the nostalgia-tinted MySpace doesn’t escape US scrutiny.
Applicants that have used any of these sites in the last five years will need to provide their social media identifier. This can be a username or handle, but cannot be left blank. If you have used more than one handle on a platform, you must list each one separately.
If you are an active user of a social media site not listed on the site's drop down menu, then you should volunteer this information on the form.
What if I don’t use social media?
If you do not have a single account registered on any of the listed sites then there is the option to select ‘None’. However, if you have used any account in the last five years, no matter how briefly, you need to fill in the details.
Do I need to handover my passwords?
No, applicants should not provide any passwords for any social media accounts in their visa application.
What if I use social media for work?
You don’t need to provide this information. The visa application is concerned with your personal online presence only. That means you don’t need to detail any social media accounts held by a business or organisation designed for use by multiple users, even if you actively post on it or manage it.
What else will I be asked?
The visa application forms also request telephone numbers and email addresses of applicants as well as employment information including monthly income and details of regular duties. There are also questions asking if family members are terrorists, whether the applicant has ever been involved in money laundering and whether travellers have a mental illness that could pose a danger to others.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The%20specs
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
