US steps up vetting for H-IB visas, with focus on complicity in online censorship

Applicants scrutinised to see if they have worked in areas such as content moderation

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The Trump administration on Dec 3 announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, with an internal State Department memo saying that anyone involved in “censorship” of free speech will be considered for rejection.

H-1B visas, which allow US employers to hire foreign workers in speciality fields, are crucial for US tech companies, which recruit heavily from countries including India and China. Many of those companies’ leaders threw their support behind Mr Trump in the last presidential election.

The cable, sent to all US missions on Dec 2, orders US consular officers to review resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants - and family members who would be travelling with them - to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others.