US tightens H-1B visa checks; applicants linked to ‘censorship’ to be rejected

Washington: The U.S. government announced stricter screening measures for H-1B visa applicants, introducing new checks that will scrutinise whether individuals were involved in any form of “censorship” of protected speech, Reuters reported.

The H-1B programme, which allows American companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers, remains vital for major U.S. tech firms, many of which rely heavily on talent from India and China. Several leaders of these companies backed Donald Trump in the last presidential election.

According to an internal State Department cable accessed by Reuters, all U.S. missions were instructed on December 2 to conduct deeper background reviews of H-1B applicants and their accompanying family members. Consular officers have been directed to examine résumés and LinkedIn profiles to determine whether an applicant has worked in fields linked to misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, online safety, and similar domains.

The cable states: "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," citing a specific section of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

Earlier this year, the US launched a massive crackdown to check abuse of the H-1B visa programme, used extensively by American technology companies to employ foreign workers. Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, form one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders.

Trump issued a Proclamation titled ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers' as an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme. Under the Proclamation, Trump announced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on new H-1B visas, a move expected to impact Indian professionals seeking to work in the US.