By Humera Pamuk
WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) – The Trump administration announced on Wednesday increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, with an Interior State Department memo saying anyone engaging in “censorship” of free speech would be considered for denial.
The H-1B visa, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specific sectors, is important to U.S. tech companies that hire heavily from countries including India and China. Many leaders of those companies supported Trump in the last presidential election.
A cable sent to all U.S. missions on Dec. 2 orders U.S. consular officials to review the resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants — and family members traveling with them — to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online security.
“If you find evidence that an applicant has engaged in, or has engaged in, censorship or censorship of protected expression in the United States, you must find that the applicant is ineligible,” under a specific article in the Immigration and Nationality Act, the cable said.
Details of the enhanced testing for H-1B visas, including a focus on censorship and free speech, were not previously reported.
The cable said that all visa applicants are subject to this policy, but sought an enhanced review for H-1B applicants because they often work in the technology sector “including social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression.”
“You should thoroughly investigate their employment histories to ascertain any participation in such activities,” Cable said.
The new screening requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.
“We don’t support foreigners coming to the United States to act as censors to make Americans smile,” a State Department spokesman said, but it would not comment on the “allegedly leaked documents.”
“In the past, the president himself has been the victim of this type of abuse when social media companies shut down his accounts. He doesn’t want other Americans to suffer like this. Allowing foreigners to lead this type of censorship would both insult and hurt the American people,” the spokesman said.
The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as stifling conservative voices online, a centerpiece of its foreign policy.
Officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to condemn what they say is repression by right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European officials of censoring ideas such as criticism of immigration in the name of countering the distortions.
In May, Rubio threatened visa restrictions for people who censor speech by Americans, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials who regulate American tech companies.
The Trump administration has already significantly tightened vetting of applicants for student visas, ordering US consular officials to screen for any social media posts that could be hostile against the United States.
As part of his sweeping crackdown on immigration, Trump imposed new fees on H-1B visas in September.
Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly accused Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration of encouraging suppression of free speech on online platforms, claims that have centered on efforts to curb false claims about vaccines and elections.
(Reporting by Humera Pamuk; Editing by Don Durfee and Stephen Coates)
