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We all say what we want on social media these days, don’t we? Keypad warriors and stuff. I bet even you are guilty of saying or doing stuff online you wouldn’t dare attempt in real life.
An artist drops a not-so-good track. You walk into his timeline and leave some bad reviews. Someone posted sensitive content on Facebook. You happily copied the post and shared it with your friends.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Indeed, we’re all guilty of liking, sharing, and commenting on just about any post that interests you.
But while we’re enjoying the rollercoaster rides of Facebook or Twitter, we must understand that our activities on these apps might someday impact our visa chances.
I know you probably weren’t expecting to hear that, but it is the truth.
Social media and Visa Applications: An unlikely but essential match
It may come as a shock to learn that immigration officers now review people’s social media accounts before granting them visas. But you need not be shocked. Social media review for visa applications is now the new normal. In fact, certain visa types like the ESTA USA ask applicants outright to provide their social media data while filling out their application form. The ESTA has a section in its application that’s essentially dedicated to just social media details. (More on ESTA and its social media requirements later).
So, basically, what we’re saying is the kind of ‘life’ you live on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and all those apps do impact whether a visa officer denies or grants your visa.
You must be asking yourself then, “but what for?” Why review your Facebook or Instagram before determining whether you’re fit to enter a country?
The answer is that social media is now the best place to find out the truth about people.
Anyone can tell a lie about who they are in their visa statement purpose. Anyone can live a near-perfect life that’s free of crime or any wrongdoings. And this makes it difficult for immigration officers to form correct opinions about applicants. But by reviewing applicants’ social media activities, they can make correct guesses as to whether an applicant is fit to enter their country or not.
For example, a student applying for a study permit may have no history of terrorism or criminal records against them. But he might have a special interest in extremist subjects on social media. Maybe he follows accounts that lean in that direction or likes or comments on posts from people that are associated with such acts. By reviewing this applicant’s social media account, an immigration officer can form an opinion on the basis of terrorism about this applicant. And based on that, they may deny their application.
Why Immigration Services take applicants’ social media details seriously
According to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, information on Facebook and social media does have an evidentiary value. In other words, information retrieved from social media can be used as evidence to affirm or denounce a visa applicant’s claim.
Why visa hopefuls need to take caution with social media usage
We’ve heard reports of people getting denied because there was no evidence on their social media pages to support their claims. And likewise, we’ve also heard reports of cases where applicants’ claims are contradicted by facts on their Facebook pages.
It goes without saying then that visa hopefuls need to be extremely careful about the information they put out on social media.
As a prospective visa applicant, you should know that your social media info can be examined and used by immigration officials when forming an opinion about the credibility of your application.
Which countries perform the social media test?
Virtually all developed countries have some form of social media test to assess the credibility of claims made in visa applications.
Talk about countries like the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, etc.
In the US, for example, social media tests are one of the biggest tools employed in denying visa applications like the ESTA. In Canada, permanent residency applications are denied if an applicant’s social media account fails the fairness test.
How do Immigration officials verify social media data?
In most cases, applicants are asked to provide their handles during application. And with that, an immigration official may access their account to check for anything they want.
However, sometimes, depending on the country and visa requirements, immigration officials may create accounts to follow the activities of applicants.
Having learned this, we expect you to think thrice before putting anything out on social media.
Say a new trend is circling around, and you wish to join. Ask yourself whether or not doing so might impact your visa chances. If you think it might, I’m guessing you know what you must do.
The ESTA and the Social Media data of applicants
The ESTA application is one of the easiest ways of entering the US. It is a travel authorization permit (not a visa) granted to citizens of certain countries to visit the US and stay for 90 days. ESTA has a two-year validity period, within which travelers can enter and leave the US anytime they want for business, transit, and tourism purposes.
The ESTA application process is quite straightforward, with most of the requirements easily satisfied. However, one area that shoots people in the foot is the aspect of social media activities.
Until 2020, providing social media information wasn’t mandatory for ESTA applications. Today, however, it is mandatory to supply information about your handles.
While filling out the ESTA application form, applicants will come across the social media data section. In this section, they are to supply information about any handles they’ve had in the last five years on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
If an applicant hasn’t had any social media presence within the stipulated time frame, they can check the “I do not have an online presence” box. But they have to be sure they’re telling the truth. If an applicant lies or withholds information about their active social media accounts and they’re caught, their application will definitely be rejected.
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