Previous work in content control or handling misinformation and misinformation may be grounds for rejection.
Published on 4 December 2025
The United States is expanding its vetting process for highly skilled H-1B visa applicants to include more social media checks, as applicants who work in areas such as misinformation and disinformation will also face enhanced scrutiny.
The US Department of State said Thursday that all H-1B applicants and their dependents must make all their social media profiles public to ensure they “do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests.” The move follows a similar order in July requiring all student visa applicants to make their social media profiles public.
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H-1B visas allow US companies to hire foreign workers with “specialty” knowledge, typically in academia or fields such as medicine, technology, finance and engineering. While they are classified as temporary visas, in practice, the H-1B provides a pathway to immigrate to the US.
As part of its enhanced scrutiny, the State Department will also scrutinize H-1B applications for work in fields that promote censorship of “free speech,” according to an internal cable obtained by Reuters news agency.
The Dec. 2 cable ordered consular staff to review applicants’ LinkedIn and employment histories for “misinformation, disinformation, content control, fact-checking, compliance and online security” or any work with “social media or financial services companies engaged in suppressing protected expression.”
The new rules apply to any family members and applicants renewing their H-1B visas.
“If you uncover evidence that the applicant is responsible for or has engaged in censorship of protected expression in the United States, or attempted censorship, you must find the applicant ineligible,” the cable said.
The move marks a departure for the US State Department, which once funded overseas projects aimed at fact-checking and combating disinformation and disinformation, along with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has pushed to loosen what he sees as restrictions on “freedom” – typically conservative voices. After the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump himself moved from X, formerly known as Twitter. He was rehired in 2022 after tech billionaire and free speech autocrat Elon Musk bought the platform.
One of his first moves as president was to sign an executive order banning “federal censorship” of free speech. In May, the US State Department threatened to bar foreign officials from entering the US who work to suppress free speech, including pressuring US tech companies to regulate social media content.
Much of Trump’s anger has focused on Europe, which has stronger content regulations and stronger laws on hate speech than the US. It is unclear how the Trump administration will approach US allies such as Australia, which this month banned social media for children under 16.