The United States government has begun implementing a new directive that could see skilled foreign workers in fields such as fact-checking, content moderation and online safety denied entry into the country.
An internal memo from the US State Department, seen by Reuters, instructed consular officials to refuse H-1B visa applications from individuals found to have participated in activities deemed to amount to censoring protected speech in the United 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,” the memo reads.
The guidance mandates visa officers to scrutinise applicants’ work histories, including resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and extend the review to family members travelling with them.
It listed areas such as misinformation, disinformation, fact-checking, compliance, content moderation and online safety as fields requiring closer examination.
“You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities,” the document added.
The directive applies to both new H-1B applicants and those seeking renewals, signalling a sweeping shift in how the US intends to handle foreign workers in sensitive digital-information roles.
A spokesperson for the State Department said the US government does not support admitting “aliens coming to work as censors muzzling Americans” but declined to comment on what was described as “allegedly leaked documents.”
The development followed an announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US would introduce visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals involved in censoring Americans on social media.
The new policy comes as major American platforms including Meta, Google, Microsoft, X and Snapchat continue to rely heavily on global workforces to handle online safety, compliance and content-moderation operations.
