The Trump administration has ordered stricter scrutiny of H-1B visa applicants, focusing on investigating whether they are involved in "reviewing protected U.S. speech." According to an internal State Department cable sent on December 2 to U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, consular officers were instructed to verify the resumes and LinkedIn profiles of applicants and their accompanying family members, examining whether they work in roles related to misinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, or online security. The cable stated that if an applicant is found to be "responsible for or involved in" reviewing protected expression within the United States, they can be deemed ineligible under immigration laws. This requirement for scrutinizing high-skilled foreign worker visas had not been previously disclosed. The cable emphasized that H-1B applicants should be "highly scrutinized," as they often work at tech companies accused of "suppressing protected speech." The new rule applies to both first-time and repeat applicants. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. "does not welcome foreign workers who review Americans' speech," and noted that President Trump himself had previously been a "victim" of social media censorship, and thus does not want other Americans to face the same situation.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850642937901067/
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