Travel

Warning: Britons could be BANNED from the US over strict new social media rules


USA holidays require Britons to obtain a visa to enter America but entry rules have become much stricter – this is the latest travel advice. Earlier this month it was announced that social media details would have to be revealed by those applying for a US visa. This means the applicant has to submit all social media account names that have been used within the last five years. Suspicious social media posts could cause problems for those applying to enter the US.

Any past alcohol or drug offences – even if they did not lead to any cautions or criminal charges following an arrest – could also see travellers banned from entering the country.

The US embassy explains: “If you have ever been arrested, cautioned and/or convicted of an offence anywhere in the world, you are required to declare it when applying for a visa.

“In cases where an arrest resulted in a conviction, you may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa and will require a waiver ineligibility to travel to the United States.”

Nita Upadhye, managing attorney at NNU Immigration in London, told the Financial Times that restrictions to enter the USA were the worst she’d seen in 15 years.

The percentage of people refused entry increased by 108 from 2015 to 2019, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection, Upadhye said.

US border agents now have the authority to seize and search phones and electronic devices without needing to provide a reason.

If you refuse or decline to provide your password you could well see your entry barred regardless.

Charlotte Slocombe, a partner at immigration law firm Fragomen, told The Sun: “When you apply for a visa, the Department of State also googles you.

“[Anything suspicious] on your phone or laptop or social media immediately triggers more questioning, which can lead to admissions, which is the same as a conviction.”

In 2017, UK traveller Isabella Brazier-Jones admitted to taking cocaine in a text but had not declared this in her ESTA application.

When border officials found the text and she explained she had indeed taken the drug, she was sent back to Britain and banned from the US for ten years.

Consequently, it’s advisable to check what information is stored on your phone and devices before your travels and reviewing your social media.

“Anything, drug-related or otherwise, including expressions of ‘moving to the US’ or the previous famous example of a British citizen writing about ‘destroying the US’ in colloquial terms, may cause problems at the border,” Kaitlin Davies, solicitor and US attorney with US immigration specialists Davies Legal, told The Independent.

“In the current climate, applicants should be mindful that posts and photographs can be misinterpreted.”

Those who have bee arrested – even if it did not result in a criminal conviction are advised to apply for a visitor visa, or a ‘B visa’, for either a Business (B1) or a Pleasure (B2) trip rather than an ESTA.

For those on holiday in the USA, it’s important to not make this one mistake. 

Travel website Big Domain has explained that you always need to give a gratuity of at least 20 per cent.

“Don’t leave a tip less than 20 per cent, it could create a problem,” a Big Domain spokesperson told Express.co.uk.

“By giving a 20 per cent tip, it shows you thought the service was at least ‘good.’”



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