US Consul Requests for Visa applicants Social Media Handles.....

A rigorous scrutiny is underway for all visit visa applicants to the USA which includes provision of social media handles and details.

A US state official in a told AFP , extra information is demanded from all applicants for a "more rigorous national security vetting".  "Such visa applicants will be asked to provide additional information, including their social media handles, prior passport numbers, additional information about family members, and a longer history of past travel, employment, and contact information," she said. 

Nevertheless, she added, these changes will "affect only a fraction of one percent of the more than 13 million annual visa applicants worldwide."

In the early months of this year, US President, Donald Trump took an aggressive decision via a memorandum that vowed  to tighten controls on who can enter the United States, the better to ferret out extremists who might pose a threat.