US wants visa applicants to submit social media details

The State Department is planning to require all U.S. visa applicants to submit personal details about their social media accounts, including usernames and phone numbers, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The department will seek public opinion on the new requirements before submitting them to the Office of Management and Budget for approval, the report said.

The new rules would affect nearly 15 million foreigners who apply for visas to enter the U.S. each year, it said.

Previously, such information was only sought from applicants singled out for extra scrutiny such as those who traveled to areas controlled by terrorist organizations.

The documents were posted on the Federal Register's website Thursday but the 60-day public comment period will not begin until Friday's edition is published, said the report.

Applicants would also be asked for five years of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, their international travel and deportation status and whether any family members have been involved in terrorist activities.

The latest development comes as President Donald Trump seeks to end to the diversity visa lotto program as well as a halt to what he calls "chain migration", or immigration to the U.S. based upon extended familial relations.