You may have taken all the right steps—filled out the right forms, collected and organized the proper documentation, prepared thoroughly for your interview—but still have your immigration application denied. Why? Because of something you said online.
With recent changes in United States immigration policies, the government is looking more closely at social media use when making immigration decisions. That means things you post on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) could be used against you when you apply for immigration benefits.
Here’s what you should know and what you can do.
How Immigration Laws and Policies Are Changing
Social media vetting was introduced into immigration screening in June 2025 by the Trump administration. The U.S. may now cancel or deny your visa if they believe that your social media posts suggest a “hostile attitude” toward U.S. citizens or culture.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy updates this year also indicate that officers can look at whether applicants have had any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations.
Concerned About Social Media? 4 Steps To Take
If you’re worried about whether your social media could impact your immigration application, start with these steps.
Look at what others see online—Before you apply for immigration benefits such as a green card or citizenship, or if you have an application pending, Google yourself (and also search yourself on other search engines like Safari or Bing). Take a look at the results that appear on the search engine results page to see what others may see.
Delete anything that could be misunderstood, even old posts—Go through your old social media posts and delete things that could be seen as political, controversial or offensive. Things that you may have meant as a joke can seem serious when taken out of context. And remember, whether it seems unfair or not, things shared by others on your page may be interpreted as your personal views.
Check your “likes” and “follows”—Are you following organizations that could be perceived as anti-American? Officers may look at the kind of content you’re following online and which posts you’ve liked.
Avoid sharing or reacting to sensitive content—It’s common for people to get into heated debates online. When you’re posting, remember that your comments may be visible to others and could be taken into consideration when making immigration decisions.
Of course, this is chilling in a country where the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. That amendment applies to non-citizens who are lawfully present here as well as to citizens.
However, the government has a great deal of power to control who is lawfully present in this country. The reality is that people who are applying for immigration benefits need to take this into account.
Concerned About How Social Media Use May Affect Your Immigration Application?
Everyone’s situation is different. Nothing on this blog should be interpreted as personal legal advice about your own social media use.
It’s important to talk with an attorney about your case and what decisions are right for you. If you’re concerned about how your social media use may affect your immigration application, contact Mark E. Jacobsor call 972-445-7577.
