US demands rejection of visa applicants with censorship history

The US government under President Donald Trump has instructed the State Department authorities to vet applicants for H-1B visas more strictly. This particularly affects highly qualified individuals who wish to work in the technology sector in the USA. The news agency Reuters reports that anyone involved in the "censorship" of free speech, for example in the moderation of online platforms, should be rejected.

H-1B visas are important for globally operating tech companies from America like Meta, Amazon, or Microsoft, but also for all other employers who rely on foreign personnel. Many of the affected employees come from India or China. Back in September, the Trump administration had already significantly increased the cost of an H-1B visa to 100,000 US dollars. Despite these visa costs, many US companies have asked foreign employees to stay, as companies are particularly reliant on these employees in the tech sector.

No internet moderators allowed into the USA

Now Reuters reports that the US government on Wednesday instructed all United States consulates to review the resumes and LinkedIn profiles of applicants for H-1B visas more closely. This includes family members who would travel to the USA with them. US officials are to find out whether the applicants have worked in areas where they dealt with misinformation or disinformation, moderation of online content, fact-checking, compliance, or online security.

"If you find evidence that an applicant was responsible for or involved in the censorship or attempted censorship of speech protected in the United States, you should determine that the applicant is inadmissible under a specific section of the Immigration and Nationality Act," the letter to the embassies states. This applies to both new and returning applicants.

While this applies to all visa applicants, officials are to scrutinize H-1B applicants in particular. This is because they often work in the tech industry, "including those companies in social media or financial services companies that are involved in suppressing protected speech," it says there. "You must thoroughly vet their employment history to ensure they have not been involved in such activities," the instruction to the consulates reads.

USA does not want foreign censors

A spokesperson for the US State Department declined to comment on "allegedly leaked documents" but stated: "We do not support foreigners coming to the United States to work as censors and silence Americans." Trump himself was referenced in this context. "In the past, the President himself has been a victim of such abuses when social media companies blocked his accounts. He does not want other Americans to suffer the same. To allow foreigners this kind of censorship would be an insult and a disservice to the American people," the State Department said.

According to Reuters, the Trump administration had previously already tightened the vetting of applicants for US student visas. US consulates were instructed to search the social media posts of such applicants for potentially anti-American statements.

(fds)