The United States has brought in a new level of scrutiny for H-1B visa applicants. American diplomats have been told to check the LinkedIn pages and resumes of applicants before clearing their visas. A Reuters report says the US State Department believes that anyone connected to what it sees as censorship of legally protected speech in the country could be denied a visa.

A State Department cable dated December 2 instructs consular officers to look closely at an applicant’s job history. This includes roles in content moderation, misinformation tracking, disinformation research, fact-checking, compliance and online safety. These jobs can sometimes involve restricting speech that is fully protected under US law. If officers find signs that an applicant took part in such activity, they are told to mark the applicant as ineligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Although the rule covers all types of visas, officials have been asked to review H-1B applicants more carefully. Many of them work in tech fields like social media, data platforms and financial services. These sectors have often been accused by US leaders of limiting certain opinions. Both new applicants and those renewing visas will go through these tighter checks.

The move reflects Donald Trump’s strong focus on free speech. His administration has criticized several European countries for restricting online content in the name of fighting disinformation. Earlier this year, Senator Marco Rubio also supported visa bans for people involved in censoring American viewpoints.

The impact on India is expected to be significant. Indian workers account for more than seventy percent of the 85,000 H-1B visas issued each year. Industry groups such as NASSCOM are advising companies and applicants to review their public profiles and ensure there is nothing that could raise concerns during screening.