The United States Department of State has directed its consular officers to deny visa applications from certainy skilled foreign workers involved in online safety roles over concerns that their work may have supported the censorship of free speech in the country.
Reuters reported that the instruction was contained in an internal memo issued on Tuesday and circulated to embassies and consulates. The memo focuses on applicants seeking H-1B visas, a category widely used by technology companies and other industries to bring in highly skilled workers.
According to the document, consular officers are to deem applicants ineligible if evidence shows they participated in censorship or attempted censorship of protected speech in the United States.
The memo specifically instructs visa officers to scrutinise the resumes and LinkedIn profiles of applicants and their accompanying family members. It lists areas such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, and online safety as roles that may require closer review.
The directive urges officers to thoroughly examine the employment history of applicants to determine whether they engaged in such activities in previous jobs. The new screening rules apply to first-time applicants and those returning for visa renewals.
A spokesperson for the State Department said the United States does not support foreign nationals taking up roles that involve silencing Americans. However, the official declined to comment directly on the leaked memo.
The move aligns with an earlier announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in May, where he stated that the government would introduce visa restrictions on foreign nationals who censor Americans on social media platforms.
Major American technology companies such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, X, and Snapchat operate global online platforms, many of which employ international workers in safety and moderation roles.
