International employees hoping to work at Colorado ski resorts on a J-1 visa this winter are coming under new scrutiny.
In June, the U.S. Department of State started reviewing social media accounts with visa applications. Non-citizens must include usernames for Facebook, Tik-Tok and other online platforms when applying for an international work or student visa.
The Feds call this new social media visa review a “national security” measure, and it will be thorough. The state department is looking for anything suspicious, including mutual friends and years’ worth of comments.
“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,” the state department says in a statement.
The J-1 visa program is incredibly popular at Colorado ski resorts, particularly Vail Resorts properties. For years resorts have actively recruited young, international visitors to work at hotels, restaurants and chairlifts, beginning with Australia and New Zealand, and more recently South America. This strategy has come under fire in recent years with reports of shoddy housing and short hours.
Harvard University is already the poster child for these strict new rules. Since May, any non-citizen applying for a visa related to Harvard is tagged for “enhanced vetting,” according to Conde Naste Traveler. The Feds might even strip the university of its eligibility for international students, professors and staff.