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The Biden administration has intensified the screening process for H-1B visas issued to highly skilled foreign workers. According to a State Department memo obtained by Reuters, visa officers are now instructed to examine applicants’ resumes and LinkedIn profiles closely—along with those of accompanying family members—to determine if they’ve been involved in activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, or online safety.
If evidence suggests an applicant has participated in or been complicit with censorship or suppression of protected speech in the United States, they could be deemed ineligible under specific provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This expanded vetting process covers both first-time and renewal applicants and emphasizes scrutiny on those working in tech sectors, especially social media and financial services companies known for moderating or restricting online content.
The move marks a significant shift in the U.S. approach to visa screening, aligning with broader efforts to prioritize free speech concerns. The Biden administration has previously tightened social media screening for student visas, aiming to identify any posts that could be hostile to the U.S. The government’s focus on free speech has been a contentious political issue, with critics accusing platforms and foreign officials of suppressing conservative voices or misinformation.
This heightened review process underscores the administration’s broader stance on internet free speech and aims to prevent foreign workers deemed responsible for online censorship from entering or remaining in the country.
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