The United States has told its diplomats overseas to identify groups whose members should be thoroughly investigated when they request a visa. The State Department sent a series of directives to U.S. embassies and diplomatic offices earlier this month. The department told them to investigate the social media messages and activities of visa applicants. It said officials should be looking for people who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in areas controlled by the Islamic State group. Another directive ordered embassies to set up security and intelligence working groups to establish guidance for “population sets.” It said these measures would identify which people require a detailed investigation before they are permitted in the United States. Even if someone is qualified for a visa, they could still be barred from entering the country if they do not meet the rules set by the working groups. The directives are the first evidence of a Trump administration plan for the “extreme vetting” of foreigners before they are given visas. Before becoming president, Donald Trump promised such a plan to American voters during the 2016 election campaign.
Title: State Department Directives Describe New Steps for US Visas
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/state_dept_visa.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='State Department Directives Describe New Steps for US Visas' data-article-id='2287'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13333'>The United States has told its diplomats overseas to identify groups whose members should be thoroughly investigated when they request a visa.</span> <span data-start-time='13333' data-end-time='24146'>The State Department sent a series of directives to U.S. embassies and diplomatic offices earlier this month.</span> <span data-start-time='24146' data-end-time='34938'>The department told them to investigate the social media messages and activities of visa applicants.</span> <span data-start-time='34938' data-end-time='48521'>It said officials should be looking for people who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in areas controlled by the Islamic State group.</span> <span data-start-time='48521' data-end-time='62688'>Another directive ordered embassies to set up security and intelligence working groups to establish guidance for “population sets.”</span> <span data-start-time='62688' data-end-time='75438'>It said these measures would identify which people require a detailed investigation before they are permitted in the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='75438' data-end-time='88896'>Even if someone is qualified for a visa, they could still be barred from entering the country if they do not meet the rules set by the working groups.</span> <span data-start-time='88896' data-end-time='101896'>The directives are the first evidence of a Trump administration plan for the “extreme vetting” of foreigners before they are given visas.</span> <span data-start-time='101896' data-end-time='113229'>Before becoming president, Donald Trump promised such a plan to American voters during the 2016 election campaign.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/state_dept_visa.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=8366 data-hint-location='88896' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/what_does_extreme_mean.m4a'>What does extreme mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='pronounced or excessive'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/series_of_directives.m4a'><span>series of directives</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/campaign_promise.m4a'><span>campaign promise</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/barred_from_entry.m4a'><span>barred from entry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/pronounced_or_excessive.m4a'><span>pronounced or excessive</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=8367 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/when_should_group_members_be_investigated.m4a'>When should group members be investigated?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='when they request a visa'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/upon_entry.m4a'><span>upon entry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/if_they_leave_the_country.m4a'><span>if they leave the country</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/when_they_request_a_visa.m4a'><span>when they request a visa</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/when_they_vote.m4a'><span>when they vote</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=8368 data-hint-location='24146' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/they_were_told_to_investigate_the__blank__of_visa_applicants.m4a'>They were told to investigate the <span class='blank'>social media messages</span> of visa applicants.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='social media messages'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/terrorist_ties.m4a'><span>terrorist ties</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/social_media_messages.m4a'><span>social media messages</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/security_and_intelligence.m4a'><span>security and intelligence</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1769/voting_plans.m4a'><span>voting plans</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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