US Visa Social Media Check: Complete Guide to Social Media Vetting & Inadmissibility Grounds

1. INA 214(b) - Nonimmigrant Intent

Legal Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1184(b) (INA § 214(b))

Full Legal Text

"Every alien (other than a nonimmigrant described in subparagraph (L) or (V) of section 1101(a)(15) of this title, and other than a nonimmigrant described in any provision of section 1101(a)(15)(H)(i) of this title except subclause (b1) of such section) shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa, and the immigration officers, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status under section 1101(a)(15) of this title."

What This Means

• Every visa applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant (someone who wants to stay permanently)
• The burden is on the applicant to prove they will return home
• The consular officer must be "satisfied" the applicant qualifies for nonimmigrant status

How Social Media Is Used for 214(b) Determinations

From State Department Cable 25 STATE 59756 (June 18, 2025):

"INA 214(b) requires an applicant to show credibly that all activities in which he is expected to engage in while in the United States are consistent with the specific requirements of his visa classification. That is, if you are not completely satisfied (1) that the applicant is credible and (2) that, during his time in the United States, the applicant will engage only in activities consistent with his nonimmigrant visa status, you should refuse the visa under INA 214(b)."

"Even if inconsistencies or potentially derogatory information you uncover during vetting do not rise to the level of an INA 212(a) ineligibility, you must consider whether they undermine the applicant's credibility or suggest that the applicant will not respect the terms of his admission to the United States. For example, while vetting applicants, many posts have discovered evidence online that those applicants had worked illegally while in the United States previously, thus seriously undermining their credibility in subsequent visa applications."

What Consular Officers Look For:

• Evidence of immigrant intent: Posts about "can't wait to work at [US company]", "planning to stay in America", "looking for green card sponsors"
• Inconsistencies: Online profiles showing different employment, education, or activities than what's on the visa application
• Past violations: Evidence of unauthorized work, overstaying visas, or other violations
• Political activism: For students, evidence suggesting they plan to engage in activities inconsistent with full-time study

2. INA 212(a)(3) - Security and Related Grounds

Legal Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3) (INA § 212(a)(3))

INA 212(a)(3)(A) - Espionage, Sabotage, and Unlawful Activity

"(A) In general—Any alien who a consular officer or the Attorney General knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in—

(i) any activity (I) to violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage or (II) to violate or evade any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information,

(ii) any other unlawful activity, or

(iii) any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means,

is inadmissible."

INA 212(a)(3)(B) - Terrorist Activities

"(B) Terrorist activities

(i) In general—Any alien who—
(I) has engaged in a terrorist activity;
(II) a consular officer, the Attorney General, or the Secretary of Homeland Security knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, is engaged in or is likely to engage after entry in any terrorist activity;
(III) has, under circumstances indicating an intention to cause death or serious bodily harm, incited terrorist activity;
(IV) is a representative of a terrorist organization or a political, social, or other group that endorses or espouses terrorist activity;
(V) is a member of a terrorist organization;
(VI) endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization;"

How Social Media Is Used for INA 212(a)(3) Determinations

From State Department Cable 25 STATE 59756 (June 18, 2025):

"You should consider as potentially derogatory any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States; of advocacy for, aid, or support for designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security; or of support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence. You must review any such indicators to ensure they do not indicate an ineligibility under INA 212(a)."

"For example, during an online presence search, you might discover on social media that an applicant endorsed Hamas or its activities, a possible 3B ineligibility, that he did not disclose on this application."

What Consular Officers Look For:

• Support for terrorist organizations: Likes, shares, or posts supporting designated terrorist organizations (Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.)
• "Espousing" terrorist activity: Even short of actual support, expressing approval for terrorist acts
• Anti-government content: Posts calling for overthrow of U.S. government by force
• Antisemitic content: Calls for violence against Jewish people, support for unlawful harassment
• "Hostile attitudes": Content expressing hostility toward U.S. citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles

INA 212(a)(3)(C) - Foreign Policy Grounds

"(C) Foreign policy

(i) In general—An alien whose entry or proposed activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is inadmissible."

From the cable:

"In any case where an applicant:

• expresses hostile attitudes toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States;
• OR advocates for, aids, or supports designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security;
• OR expresses support for or perpetrates unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence;
• AND overcomes INA 214(b);
• AND is not ineligible under any other provision of INA 212(a)(3);

THEN you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible under INA 212(a)(3)(C)... Only the Secretary can make such a finding, which requires an SAO."

3. INA 212(a)(6) - Immigration Violations

Legal Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6) (INA § 212(a)(6))

INA 212(a)(6)(C) - Misrepresentation

"(C) Misrepresentation

(i) In general—Any alien who, by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to procure (or has sought to procure or has procured) a visa, other documentation, or admission into the United States or other benefit provided under this chapter is inadmissible.

(ii) Falsely claiming citizenship
(I) In general—Any alien who falsely represents, or has falsely represented, himself or herself to be a citizen of the United States for any purpose or benefit under this chapter or any other Federal or State law is inadmissible."

How Social Media Is Used for INA 212(a)(6) Determinations

From State Department Cable 25 STATE 59756 (June 18, 2025):

"You should be alert to any inconsistencies between what you discover during vetting and how the applicant presented himself in his application, in his supporting evidence, or during the interview. You must explore all such inconsistencies to ensure they do not indicate visa ineligibilities. Even when such inconsistencies do not point to an INA 212(a) ineligibility, they can call into question the applicant's credibility."

What Consular Officers Look For:

• Misrepresentation: Information on social media that contradicts what's on the visa application
  • Different employment history
  • Different education credentials
  • Different marital status
  • Undisclosed criminal arrests
• Evidence of prior violations: Posts showing unauthorized work, overstays, or other violations
• False citizenship claims: Posts claiming to be a U.S. citizen when they're not

4. Official State Department Announcements

F/M/J Visa Requirement (June 19, 2025)

Source: U.S. State Department Media Note

"To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public.'"

H-1B/H-4 Expansion (December 3, 2025)

Source: U.S. State Department Visa News

"As of December 15, the Department will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public.'"

5. How Vetting Is Actually Conducted

Document: Cable 25 STATE 59756 (June 18, 2025)
Subject: Action Request: Expanding Screening and Vetting for FMJ Applicants

This cable provides the actual instructions given to consular officers on HOW to conduct social media vetting.

On Requiring Public Profiles

"Request that the applicant set all of his social media accounts to 'public' and remind the applicant that limited access to, or visibility of, online presence could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity."

"If you are unable to review any aspect of an applicant's online presence because social media accounts are set to 'private' or otherwise limited, you should treat the case as any other where an applicant fails to provide certain information on request. You must consider whether such failure reflects evasiveness or otherwise calls into question the applicant's credibility."

On What to Review

"You must conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting of each FMJ applicant who is otherwise issuable (i.e. overcomes 214(b)). Vetting means examining all aspects of the case, including the application, supporting evidence, and information you gather during the interview. You should review these in light of your personal knowledge, your expertise, and all sources of information available to you. It should include a review of the applicant's entire online presence -- not just social media activity -- using any appropriate search engines or other online resources."

On What's Considered "Derogatory"

"During the vetting, you simply are looking for any potentially derogatory information about the applicant. You must review any such information to ensure it does not indicate an ineligibility under INA 212(a) or 214(b)."

"You should consider as potentially derogatory any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States; of advocacy for, aid, or support for designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security; or of support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence."

On Documentation

"You must document the results of your vetting in detailed case notes, including all potentially derogatory information and inconsistencies. If you find any relevant information online, take screenshots to preserve the record against possible later alteration or loss of the information and upload those screenshots to the applicant's case record in the CCD."

6. What Consular Officers May Review

Platforms That May Be Reviewed

• Twitter/X
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Any other social media accounts listed on DS-160

Content That May Be Reviewed

Based on the State Department cable's instruction to review an applicant's "entire online presence," officers may potentially examine:

Time Period

• 5 years of history going back (this is the period covered on DS-160 form)
• Officers are instructed to review the "entire online presence"

How They Access It

From the cable:

"If it is necessary to sign in to an account to view all of an applicant's activity on a particular social media platform (e.g., Instagram), you must do so using an official account that is publicly attributable to the Department."

7. Consequences of Private Profiles

From the June 2025 cable:

"If you are unable to review any aspect of an applicant's online presence because social media accounts are set to 'private' or otherwise limited, you should treat the case as any other where an applicant fails to provide certain information on request."

8. Practical Examples of Red Flags

9. Key Takeaways

10. Sources & References

Primary Legal Sources

1. 8 U.S.C. § 1182 - Inadmissible aliens
   https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182
2. 8 U.S.C. § 1184 - Admission of nonimmigrants
   https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1184

Official State Department Guidance

3. State Department Cable 25 STATE 59756 (June 18, 2025)
   "Action Request: Expanding Screening and Vetting for FMJ Applicants"
   https://www.presidentsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DOS-Cable-6.18.25-Social-Media-Vetting-and-Prioritization_Copy.pdf
4. State Department H-1B/H-4 Announcement (December 3, 2025)
   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/announcement-of-expanded-screening-and-vetting-for-h-1b-and-dependent-h-4-visa-applicants.html
5. State Department F/M/J Announcement (June 19, 2025)
   https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/06/announcement-of-expanded-screening-and-vetting-for-visa-applicants

Secondary Legal Analysis

6. Yale Office of International Students & Scholars
   https://oiss.yale.edu/news/department-of-state-announces-enhanced-social-media-vetting-and-resumption-of-visa-interview-scheduling
7. American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
   DOS Cable analysis and interpretation

Code of Federal Regulations

8. 22 CFR § 41.121 - Refusal of nonimmigrant visas
   https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/41.121

Conclusion

This is not speculation or interpretation - these are the actual laws and official government guidance showing:

1. The legal grounds (INA 212(a) and 214(b))
2. The official policy (State Department announcements)
3. The actual instructions given to consular officers (State Department cables)
4. Real examples of what's considered problematic