Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: The United States has now started using Social media information in visa screening and vetting which was being done by CID Wing of Jammu and Kashmir for past quite some time to ensure that no wrong person is issued passport. This was necessitated in Jammu and Kashmir in view of over three and half decades of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
The CID wing which is assigned the task of all kinds of verifications including passports has done tremendous job all over these years to ensure that no anti-national and anti-social elements including those indicted in terrorism and criminal cases manage to get Passports which could help them flee the country.
“Social Media was one of the mediums which the CID watched carefully to take decision on visa applications of the individuals. And this was being done by the CID for the years when the Social Media came into effect,” the sources said.
The United States, they pointed out, has now started relying on Social Media in issuance of passports.
A recent post by US Embassy India on X read: “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or hand of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting Social Media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas”.
This has been done by the United States citing national security.
Another post on X by the US read: “US visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all US laws and immigration rules and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t”.
As per the sources, this practice (following Social Media posts of visa holders continuously) had been adopted by the CID a long back while the United States has started the practice now.
Sources said it was in view of strict norms and continuous monitoring of Social Media and all other available information by the CID wing that wrong elements in Jammu and Kashmir were unable to get the passports.
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