Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for H-1B visa applicants
US State Department memo instructs consulates to check applicants' resumes and LinkedIn profiles for involvement in misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, or fact-checking
The Trump administration on Wednesday (December 3) announced that there would be increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly-skilled personnel.
An internal memo in the State Department said anyone involved in “censorship of free speech” should be considered for rejection of the visa.
Employers in the US use H-1B visas to hire workers from abroad to work in specialty fields. These positions are quite crucial especially for technology companies, who employ large numbers from nations like India and China.
Identifying those involved in ‘censorship’
The memo was sent to all US consulates on Tuesday (December 2) and instructed consular officers to check the LinkedIn profiles or the resumes of H-1B visa applicants and also of the family members who would be accompanying them to see if they have worked in areas that include “content moderation, disinformation, misinformation, online safety, compliance, and fact-checking".
“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,” said the memo.
Also Read: White House defends Trump’s H-1B visa stand as ‘nuanced’ amid backlash
It went on to say that all visa applicants were subject to this policy, but there should be increased review of H-1B visa applicants since they usually worked in the technology sector, “including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression”.
It added that the new vetting requirements would apply to both new and repeat applicants.
Trump administration’s focus on free speech
The Donald Trump administration has made free speech a focus of its foreign policy, especially what it perceives as the stifling of conservative expressions online.
US officials have often condemned the “suppression” of right-wing politicians in European countries like Germany, France, and Romania, accusing authorities in those nations of censoring views like criticism of immigration.
Also Read: Countries blocking foreign talent will be ‘net losers’, says Jaishankar
Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to impose visa bans for people who censor speech by Americans. He said the policy could target foreign officials who regulate US technology companies.
Trump and the Republican party have accused the earlier Biden administration of encouraging suppression of free speech on online platforms.
The present US government had already tightened the vetting of applicants for student visas, instructing US consular officers worldwide to look for social media posts that may be hostile towards the US.