US demands social media details from visa applicants • Hacker News Board

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#281

Post by chungleong » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 8:50 AM UTC

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?

From a legal standpoint that's problematic since the government would be imposing a punishment on acts committed outside its jurisdiction--possibly ex post facto as well.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#282

Post by dredds » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 8:50 AM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #118

What are they going to do with these? Just take a quick look or constantly keep monitoring them?

They will go into a yuge database and you can lay pretty good odds on what will happen next.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#283

Post by adventured » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 8:51 AM UTC

hdfbdtbcdg wrote: post #235

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…

They only have 5-10 days vacation a year on average. Give them a break already!

> They only have 5-10 days vacation a year on average.

Your figures are off by a large margin (70% to 240%). The average American worker took 17 days of vacation time in 2017.

For paid vacation time - the more important item - it depends heavily on experience and company size.

"In 2017, the average worker with five years of experience at a company was given 15 days of paid vacation and the average worker with 20 years of experience was given 20 paid vacation days."

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 76 percent of private industry workers ... After one year of employment, these workers were granted 10 days of paid vacation, on average."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/05/heres-how-many-paid-vacation...

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#284

Post by unionpivo » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:04 AM UTC

What I wonder is what is considered a social media. Twiter, facebook, linkedin sure.

But is github social media site? How about medium ? Steam webstore ?

How about reddit and hackernews ? Stackowerflow ?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#285

Post by iSnow » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:08 AM UTC

chungleong wrote: post #281

jbergens wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

From a legal standpoint that's problematic since the government would be imposing a punishment on acts committed outside its jurisdiction--possibly ex post facto as well.

I don't think extradition counts as a punishment like jail time, it's the revocation of a privilege, but I might well be wrong.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#286

Post by diveanon » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:08 AM UTC

csomar wrote: post #271

diveanon wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mileage may vary I suppose, but I am in KL right now to see my doctor and have been staying at a friend's hostel for the past week in a very touristic area. I have been socializing quite a bit and have not met a single American the entire week.

I've been rather to the expensive places. Maybe that's where your fellow Americans are hiding?

That seems like a likely explanation, although the island where I dive attracts very affluent tourists and there are effectively no Americans there either.

Were most of the people you met tourists or living in Malaysia?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#287

Post by iSnow » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:17 AM UTC

crucialfelix wrote: post #232

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…

Don't forget "Moral turpitude". They ask you to confess that one on the landing card.

What does that even cover? If I ever had sex out of wedlock, would I disqualify for a US visa?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#288

Post by chungleong » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:26 AM UTC

codedokode wrote: post #204

refurb wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As per the previous comment, most of it comes from the way the laws were written. If immigration law says “members of a terrorist group can’t get citizenship”, then USCIS has to have a process for following it. In addition to background checks, they ask the question. In terms of booting them out, the question makes it much easier. If they are a member of a terrorist group and they said “no”, well it’s an open and shu…

But doesn't proving that the person has lied also require additional efforts, and if that person will contest the desicion in court, can become a long process?

I don't think judicial courts accept challenges to rulings by administrative judges as a matter of course.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#289

Post by justinjlynn » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:31 AM UTC

chillwaves wrote: post #237

justinjlynn wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> has been overlooked You mean exploited?

By whom exactly?

One doesn't ask a question to which one already knows the answer. It's just bad form.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#290

Post by iSnow » Mon, Jun 03, 2019, 9:32 AM UTC

dahfizz wrote: post #140

klipt wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well traveling through the Schengen area is like traveling between US states. You don't even need a passport once you're in. If you're traveling on a non-EU passport, I don't know if entering the EU is much better. IIRC flying through Frankfurt once the customs people rifled through my carry-on for no apparent reason.

My anecdotal experience is similar. Entering the US on a US passport is a breeze. Entering the EU on a US passport felt very hostile. I would imagine it's the same everywhere - it is the most fundamental job of a government to secure its own borders and maintain its own power.

>Entering the US on a US passport is a breeze.

That isn't too surprising, is it? That would be true for almost every democratic country.

As an EU citizen, I found entering China less scary than the USA. The Chinese officers were almost painfully polite and matter of fact, whereas the TSA officers were borderline rude and threatening. I'd really lover to go for holidays in the USA again, but not anytime soon. Since I don't have a FB, Twitter or IG acc't, I'd probably be denied anyways.