Your Green Card, H-1B approvals are in jeopardy: Avoid THESE risky social media posts

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has started scanning visa applicants' social media handles under a new proposal

Published on: Apr 11, 2025, 05:34:30 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has started scanning visa applicants' social media handles under a new proposal. This means that Instagram, Facebook, X or even TikTok posts can get your visa and Green card application rejected.

USCIS will check the social media profiles of visa applicants (Unsplash)

“This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students, and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity,” the USCIS said in a notice published this week.

On Thursday, a federal judge allowed the Trump administration to move ahead with a requirement that noncitizens in the US must register with the government. The requirement goes into effect on Friday.

The USCIS further cited President Donald Trump's executive orders on combatting ‘Anti-Semitism, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism and Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats’. It said that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will ‘enforce all relevant immigration laws to the maximum degree, to protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens’.

What kind of social media posts are red flags for US immigration officials?

The USCIS said that posts that support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies and antisemitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, or the Houthis will be red flags.

“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“Sec. Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here.”

The USCIS will now consider social media content that endorses ‘antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity’ as a negative factor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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