MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US administration has told embassies to ratchet up screening procedures for certain visa applicants after a court stay on its travel ban for several Muslim-majority countries, local media reported Friday.
"As part of our work to constantly improve screening and vetting of visa applicants… the Department instructed posts to immediately take a number of steps," a State Department cable to embassies, seen by CNN, read.
The measure was taken in line with President Donald Trump’s March 6 memorandum on heightened screening. US embassies will now be allowed to ask for more background information about travelers and their relatives, their social media use and places of work and residence, the new channel said.
Trump issued an executive order on January 25 blocking nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States. The administration revised the order on March 6 after courts blocked its implementation. The later order did not include Iraqi nationals.
