The US state department has instructed consular staff to reject visa applications from certain skilled workers in online safety roles over concerns of compliance in “censoring” Americans’ free speech.
According to the internal memo Reuters obtained, which was circulated on Tuesday, the directive focuses on applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, which are frequently used by tech companies and other sectors.
“If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible,” the memo reads.
The memo asked 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.
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“You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities,” the document added.
The new vetting requirements apply to both new and returning applicants.
A state department spokesperson said the US does not support aliens coming to work as censors muzzling Americans but refrained from commenting on “allegedly leaked documents”.
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In May, Marco Rubio, secretary of state, said the US would impose a visa restriction policy on foreign nationals who censor Americans on social media.
Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), Google (owner of YouTube and other services), Microsoft (owner of LinkedIn), X, and Snapchat are all American tech platforms.
