The Trump administration has reportedly ordered U.S. consular officials to conduct stricter scrutiny of H-1B visa applicants and reject anyone found to have participated in “censorship or attempted censorship” of protected speech in the United States, according to an internal State Department cable.
Reuters reported this that the directive, sent to all U.S. missions on December 2, directs consular officers to review resumes, LinkedIn profiles and all publicly available information to determine whether an applicant – or family members traveling with them – has previously worked in areas such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance or online safety.
According to the cable cited by Reuters, agents should “pursue the applicant’s ineligibility” if they discover evidence that the person “was responsible or complicit in censorship or attempted censorship of protected speech in the United States.”
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The State Department’s new policy adds speech-related roles, including fact-checking and content moderation, to the visa denial criteria. (iStock)
While the guidance applies to all visa categories, the cable calls for special scrutiny of H-1B applicants because they “often work in the technology sector, including at social media or financial services firms involved in the suppression of protected speech.” The vetting requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.
Reuters also reported that the cable, which has not previously been released, instructs consular officials: “You should thoroughly investigate their employment history to ensure that you do not engage in such activities.”
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This move comes as the government intensifies its criticism of censorship in Europe. Vice President JD Vance responded on December 4 to reports of a possible EU fine against
To further underscore the administration’s determination to fight censorship, Assistant Secretary of State Sarah Rogers posted video about X in response to a European MP saying she was “reviewing some of the comments for which people in Europe and also the UK have been investigated, arrested or jailed by their governments in recent years”, and listed examples from Germany, the UK and Sweden.
The new screening rules are aimed at applicants who often work in the technology sector, including in content moderation and online security roles.
She stated in part: “A German woman notoriously received a harsher prison sentence than a convicted rapist after the woman called the rapist ‘a shameful pig.'”
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In May, Rubio threatened visa bans for people who censor Americans’ speech, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials who regulate U.S. tech companies. (Reuters)
The government has already tightened student visa vetting procedures by ordering officials to screen applicants’ social media activities for posts hostile to the United States. President Donald Trump also imposed new H-1B fees in September as part of a broader immigration overhaul. The enhanced censorship-related screening represents the latest step in the administration’s attempt to tie U.S. visa policy to its free speech agenda.
