Trump orders tougher vetting of H-1B visa applicants

• US diplomats asked to review LinkedIn profiles of H-1B visa applicants.
• H-1B visa applicants are ineligible if found to be involved in “censorship.”
• The new screening requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has ordered increased scrutiny of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, with anyone who engages in “censorship” of free speech considered a rejection, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters.

H-1B visas are vital for US tech companies, which hire heavily from countries like India and China. Many of the leaders of these companies threw their support behind Trump in the last presidential election.

The cable, sent to all U.S. missions on Dec. 2, directs U.S. consular officials to review the resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants — and family members who would be traveling with them — to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content control, fact-checking, compliance and cyber security, among others.

“If you uncover evidence that an applicant has been responsible or complicit in censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should seek to find the applicant ineligible,” according to a specific section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the cable said.

Enhanced screening for H-1B visas, which allow US employers to hire foreign workers in specific fields, has not been previously reported.

The cable said all visa applicants are subject to this policy, but called for an increased review for H-1B applicants since they often worked in the technology sector, including social media or financial services companies involved in suppressing protected expression.

“You must thoroughly investigate their employment histories to ensure that they do not engage in such activities,” the cable said.

The new screening requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.

The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a centerpiece of its foreign policy.

Officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they say is a crackdown on right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views such as criticism of immigration in the name of tackling misinformation.

In May, Rubio threatened a visa ban on people who censor Americans’ speech, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials who regulate American technology companies.

The Trump administration has already significantly tightened screening of student visa applicants, ordering US consular officials to screen for any social media posts that may be hostile to the United States.

As part of his broad crackdown on immigration, Trump in September imposed new fees on H-1B visas.

Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly accused Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration of encouraging a crackdown on free speech on online platforms, allegations that have centered on efforts to crack down on false claims about vaccines and elections.