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US demands social media details from visa applicants

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Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#241

Post by diveanon »

inferiorhuman wrote: post #233
diveanon wrote: post #13

I meet a lot of tourists on a daily basis, and I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time. I can't imagine how much worse it is for people that are forced to travel there for business. If the United States is trying to isolate itself from the rest of the world it is definitely succeeding. As a side note, I have not spoken to a tourist from the US on the island where I live in…

Where are you guys? I typically travel to places where I know someone — so given that most of the Malaysians I know have moved elsewhere (or are trying to) I'm less inclined to visit. The politics, health care, and to some extent personal safety and syariah law create some resistance too.

Politics - Malaysia has a healthier democracy than the United States and is currently undergoing massive anti corruption reforms.

Healthcare - I receive better and more affordable healthcare here than I ever did in the US. Visiting a DR costs $10 out of pocket and most medications are in the $5-$20 range. I recently underwent extensive hyperbaric therapy and it cost me less than $200. The same treatment in the US would have been near $10000. I also have insurance, but I am yet to actually need to dip into it.

Personal Safety - I feel safer wandering around KL at night than I ever did LA or SF. On the island where I live I don't even have a lock on my door.

Sharia Law - Malaysia is a secular society. In areas where Sharia law is in effect it only applies to Muslims, and even then it can be appealed in the courts. Malaysia is a very mixed society that has learned to respect all races and religions, wish I could say the same for the US.

Its sad because you are eliminating one of the travel gems of the world based on false assumptions.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#242

Post by cylinder »

nonamechicken wrote: post #183
refurb wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And don't get me started on the stupid fact that you cannot renew your US visa within the US, and in the end people on student/work visas have to take the pointless trip to Canada/Mexico just to get a new visa. That’s a feature, not a bug. You don’t have to kick people out if they can’t renew, you just don’t let them back in.

This is a big fear for many h1bs (atleast those who I know). What if they travel to India, and then the visa officer decides just like that to deny. What will happen to their stuff in US, their apartment, car etc? These people have done nothing wrong and have all the paperwork, still have that (irrational) fear.

I work with these people and it happens all the time. It's not irrational at all. Indian posts are very awful right now.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#243

Post by diveanon »

joelrunyon wrote: post #128
diveanon wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A Malaysian island in the South China Sea.

To be honest - that's sort of off the beaten path (speaking for a lot of Americans). From the SE asian island-ish countries, I can think the ordering of "who goes where" would look something like this - Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, Phillippines, Malaysia - just based on country marketing + anecdotal conversations alone. This is coming from someone who was nomad-ing around for 2 1/2 years too.

My flight from New York to KL cost less than my flight from Orlando to NY.

Most Malaysians also speak English very well, especially compared to the rest of SE Asia.

I have spoken to Americans back home who couldn't even point out Malaysia on a map, and even more who just write it off as a "Muslim country" despite it being secular and very diverse.

I would say it has less to do with accessibility, and more to do with Americans being skittish travelers who have been brainwashed into thinking that any country with a couple Muslims is a scary place.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#245

Post by cr1895 »

briandear wrote: post #201
HeavenFox wrote: post #74

As any US Visa applicant can attest to, the DS-160 is already some of the most annoying form you have to fill - in fact for most people it's less pleasurable than doing 1040. In addition to asking for details of every school you went to, every job you had, every country you've been to, they ask you questions like this: >> Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled su…

> And don't get me started on the stupid fact that you cannot renew your US visa within the US Ever been to Korea? Ever had a Chinese visa? How about India on a visa? If Indians want an easier time with US visas, then the Indian government should stop with their draconian visa process. Chinese and Korean work visas aren’t much better. Americans trying to get work visas for the EU also have a very difficult time as we…

Oh really? I found it relatively straight forward to study, live, and work in the Netherlands. 5 year visa, too.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#246

Post by diveanon »

godelski wrote: post #141
Swizec wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you seen how many vacation days most americans get? It’s not a lot and most of it goes towards visiting family around the major holidays.

Also add in that household income is (fairly) stagnant[0] but costs are increasing. Anecdotally the only people I know that visit other countries either are: not from the US; come from a wealthy family; or have little money and that's just what they spend their money on. I know very few middle class people that visit other countries (outside of work related tasks). The excuse is always "I can't afford it." For me, th…

"I can't afford it" is and empty excuse.

My flight from NY to KL a few months ago was cheaper than my flight from Orlando to NY.

The cost of living here is significantly less than the US. I would conservatively say 50%.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#247

Post by jki275 »

codedokode wrote: post #217
Longlius wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US grants permanent residency to roughly a million people a year already. In the past we accepted anyone who would come because so few people were willing to come. Now too many people want to come, so the selection process has to become more rigorous. I don't want to sound nativist, but there are hard limits on how many people a country can accept at once, especially one with an increasingly small pool of jobs to…

As I understand, those questions are for tourists too, not only for people wanting to live in US.

The DS-160 is the immigrant visa application as I recall.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#248

Post by sombremesa »

jbergens wrote: post #193
grahamburger wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the idea was that if it's found out later that you are a member of a terrorist organization you can be kicked out, even if you haven't yet done anything explicitly illegal, because you lied on the Visa application.

Isn't being a member of a terrorist organization enough to kick them out?

It probably depends. I would think that an alien can be deported arbitrarily regardless of anything (having no absolute right to be in the country to begin with, can be rejected arbitrarily at passport control etc.), but usually in a court of law you can't be penalized for "being" something, only for doing or having done something.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#249

Post by fastball »

cr1895 wrote: post #245
briandear wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And don't get me started on the stupid fact that you cannot renew your US visa within the US Ever been to Korea? Ever had a Chinese visa? How about India on a visa? If Indians want an easier time with US visas, then the Indian government should stop with their draconian visa process. Chinese and Korean work visas aren’t much better. Americans trying to get work visas for the EU also have a very difficult time as we…

Oh really? I found it relatively straight forward to study, live, and work in the Netherlands. 5 year visa, too.

Which visa was that?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#250

Post by jki275 »

llukas wrote: post #238
archey1 wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the time the constitution was framed, "well regulated" meant properly trained and not "subject to 30 million pages of government control and criminilization". If you want to cherry pick certain parts of the second amendment - I can do that too: "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed".

Please stick with weapons available at time constitution was written of not very reliable ~3 shots per minute fire rate. Gunpowder cannons are also OK. Law evolves along with technical progress and 2nd amendment is not exception.

When you write your reply on parchment with elderberry ink, seal it with wax, and have it delivered by pony express we can have a discussion on the limitations you are proposing on the first amendment with your long debunked argument.

Also there were repeating rifles, cartridge based rifles, and citizens owned artillery pieces and war ships in the era in which the Constitution was written.

You should read Heller - Justice Scalia wrote a great deal about your argument and why it is absurd.

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