Social media for immigration advisers: a practical guide

UK: GOV.UK says all immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or be a member of an approved professional body, and points people to the law societies and the Bar for solicitors and barristers. The IAA, previously known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), says it can prosecute for illegally providing immigration advice or services and for illegally advertising them. GOV.UK also warns the public that they cannot get their money back if an adviser is not regulated.

US: USCIS says people can be represented by attorneys in good standing, by accredited representatives working for an organisation on the Department of Justice list, and by law students and graduates under supervision. The Justice Department says accredited representatives may only provide immigration legal services through recognised organisations, which must be non-profit and federally tax-exempt. USCIS says a US notary public is not an attorney and cannot represent people, and the FTC tells the public not to go to a notario, accountant or consultant for immigration or legal help.

So before any content plan, check that your posts match what you are allowed to do. A translator, travel agent or relocation firm that is not regulated for immigration advice should not post anything that reads as advice on someone's case.

Sources: GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser, checked 15 October 2026; GOV.UK: About the Immigration Advice Authority, checked 15 October 2026; USCIS: Find legal services, checked 15 October 2026; US Department of Justice (EOIR): Recognition and Accreditation Program, checked 15 October 2026; FTC Consumer Advice: How to avoid immigration scams and get real help, checked 15 October 2026

The IAA's practice note on promotional material says it covers a registered organisation's website and social media. Under Code 6.1, a website and any online presence must prominently display the IAA's regulatory details and unique number, and the IAA logo and digital badge are recommended. Material should accurately represent the organisation, its services and the qualifications of its advisers, and should not suggest the organisation is larger than it is, for example a team when it is one adviser.

The note says testimonials should only contain information a client volunteered freely, and the client should know it may be used. Code 6.3 prohibits touting, meaning soliciting business, typically in a high-pressured or persistent way. Advisers must not make adverse comments about other advisers in their advertising, and Code 8.1 asks each organisation to name who is responsible for overseeing its promotion and advertising.

Solicitors' firms have their own rules: the SRA Transparency Rules require an SRA-authorised firm to show its SRA number and digital badge prominently on its website, and to publish price information if it advertises immigration applications (excluding asylum) or First-tier Tribunal immigration appeals (excluding asylum).

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or anything about the people you work for.

1. Put your regulator, registration number and authorised level in every bio, not just on your website.
2. Name one person who approves every post and ad.
3. Describe your team and services exactly as they are.
4. Keep a record of permission for every testimonial.
5. Never comment on other advisers in posts, even to warn people about one; report concerns to the regulator instead.
6. Do not send repeated or pressured messages to people who have not asked for help.

Sources: GOV.UK (IAA): Promotional material practice note (updated May 2025), checked 15 October 2026; SRA: Transparency Rules, checked 15 October 2026

People reading your posts may be anxious, short of time and vulnerable to anyone who sounds certain. The FTC's advice to immigrants says plainly: "Nobody can guarantee they'll get you a Green Card or citizenship." It also explains that in many Latin American countries a notario is a lawyer, which is not true in the US, so be careful how you translate titles into Spanish or Portuguese.

Success stories can mislead in the same way. The FTC's endorsement guidance says that if you cannot show a result is typical, the ad must make clear what people can generally expect.

• Never post "guaranteed visa", "100% success" or "approval in days".
• Never imply special contacts at the Home Office, USCIS or an embassy.
• Use real deadlines from official pages, never invented ones to rush people.
• Say clearly when a route has a fee set by the government and when the fee is yours.

Sources: FTC Consumer Alert: Avoiding scams that target immigrants (May 2023), checked 15 October 2026; FTC Consumer Advice: How to avoid immigration scams and get real help, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026

People will post their whole situation in your comments. Do not answer case questions in public: a short public reply can be wrong for that person and can expose their status to everyone who reads it. Thank them, give general information only and invite them to contact you privately.

Client documents, decision letters, passports and biometric cards should never appear in a post, even blurred. If a client wants to share their story, get written permission, remove anything that identifies them and let them approve the final words.

Ask every client for a review in the same way. Google's policy bans incentives for reviews and selectively asking happy customers, and the FTC's 2024 rule bans fake reviews and rewards tied to a positive review.

• Pin a post explaining that you cannot advise in comments, and how to book.
• Set an auto-reply that points to your booking link and official sources.
• Hide comments that share someone else's personal details or immigration status.

Sources: Google Maps user-generated content policy: fake engagement, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024), checked 15 October 2026

Many clients find advisers through community groups and in their own language. Posting in the languages your team speaks is valuable, but every translated post needs the same care as the English one: check it with a fluent colleague, keep official terms accurate and do not let a translation promise more than the original.

Scam warnings are some of the most useful posts you can share. Explain what official websites look like, that genuine help comes from regulated advisers, and how to check the register. Link to GOV.UK, USCIS or the regulator rather than to screenshots of scam messages that people might copy.

• Join and help in community Facebook groups, without selling.
• Post the same key explainer in each language you work in.
• Run a monthly "how to check an adviser" post.

Immigration rules change often. Plan your evergreen explainers a month ahead and leave space for short, factual updates when official guidance changes.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Brand Brain can hold your regulator details, languages and words you never use, such as "guaranteed". Zolyp does not check posts against IAA, SRA or US rules, so a qualified adviser should read every post before you approve it. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: check bios, registration numbers and booking links on every platform.
• Week 2: write two explainers from questions clients asked this month.
• Week 3: post one scam warning and one post about how your service works.
• Week 4: review comments and reviews, update anything that changed, and plan next month.