The Trump administration on Wednesday announced heightened vetting for H-1B visa applicants, directing U.S. consular officers to flag and potentially reject anyone tied to the censorship of protected speech, according to an internal State Department cable.
The directive, sent to all U.S. missions on December 2, instructs officers to scrutinize resumes and LinkedIn profiles of applicants, as well as accompanying family members, for work involving misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, and online safety.
“If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible,” the cable states, citing a specific provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Although the policy technically applies to all visa applicants, the memo calls for especially aggressive review of H-1B workers because they frequently hold jobs in the technology sector, “including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression.” Officers are instructed to “thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities.”
The expanded screening applies to both new applicants and renewals.
