State Dept memo: Deny H‑1B visas to applicants tied to ‘censorship’ work
An internal State Department memo dated Dec. 2 instructs consular officers to “thoroughly explore” applicants’ work histories (resumes, LinkedIn, media) and to deny H‑1B visas — and is reported to apply across visa categories with special scrutiny of H‑1Bs — if there is evidence they were responsible for or complicit in “censorship” of protected U.S. speech, including roles such as fact‑checking, content moderation, trust & safety, compliance or combating misinformation, and to consider participation by family members traveling with applicants. The department declined to comment on the reportedly leaked memo but defended the policy’s goal of protecting Americans’ free expression, framing the guidance as implementing a May policy announced by Secretary Marco Rubio amid a broader administration push against perceived foreign censorship.
📌 Key Facts
- An internal State Department memo dated Dec. 2 directs consular officers to deny H‑1B visas if evidence shows applicants were responsible for or complicit in 'censorship' of protected U.S. speech.
- The memo instructs officers to 'thoroughly explore' applicants’ employment histories — using resumes, LinkedIn and media — for roles including fact‑checking, content moderation, trust & safety, compliance, and combating misinformation/disinformation.
- The cable, citing Reuters, says the directive applies to all visa categories but singles out H‑1B applicants for special scrutiny and tells officers to 'pursue a finding' of ineligibility for such applicants, including those returning to the U.S.; it also directs officers to consider whether family members traveling with applicants participated in censorship‑related roles.
- The guidance is framed as implementing a May policy announced by Secretary Marco Rubio that restricts visas for foreigners complicit in censoring Americans.
- State Department officials declined to comment on the 'allegedly leaked' memo while offering on‑record statements defending the policy goal of protecting Americans’ free expression from foreign censorship.
- Reporting included broader administration context — Vice President JD Vance criticizing rumored EU action against X and Undersecretary Sarah Rogers posting a video highlighting European speech‑related prosecutions — underscoring the administration’s wider anti‑censorship posture.
📰 Sources (3)
- Reuters-cited cable language says the directive applies to all visa categories, with special scrutiny of H‑1B applicants.
- Cable directs officers to consider whether 'family members traveling with' applicants have participated in censorship-related roles.
- New on-record statement to Fox News from a senior State Department official defending the policy goal (protecting Americans’ speech) while declining to comment on the leaked document.
- Quoted instruction to 'thoroughly explore' employment histories, reinforcing the depth of background review.
- Contextual updates: Vice President JD Vance criticized rumored EU action against X; Undersecretary Sarah Rogers posted a video highlighting European speech-related prosecutions, underscoring the administration’s broader anti-censorship posture.
- An internal State Department memo dated Dec. 2 directs consular officers to deny H‑1B visas if evidence shows applicants were responsible for or complicit in 'censorship' of protected U.S. speech.
- Officers are told to 'thoroughly explore' applicants’ work histories via resumes, LinkedIn, and media for activities including fact‑checking, content moderation, trust & safety, compliance, and combating misinformation/disinformation.
- The memo instructs officers to 'pursue a finding' of ineligibility for such applicants, including those returning to the U.S.
- A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on 'allegedly leaked documents' but reiterated the administration’s stance on defending Americans’ free expression from foreign censorship.
- The guidance is framed as implementing a May policy announced by Secretary Marco Rubio restricting visas for foreigners complicit in censoring Americans.