- By Supratik Das
- Sun, 07 Dec 2025 02:29 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Trump visa ban: The Donald Trump administration has introduced sweeping new visa restrictions that may hugely hit global techies, mainly from India. According to a State Department memo seen by Reuters, US embassies were instructed to reject visas to applicants who have been employed in work connected with fact-checking, content moderation, compliance, trust and safety, or online content regulation.
The directive includes tourist, journalist, and employment visas, but makes special mention of H-1B visas, which are those most commonly applied for by highly skilled foreign workers, especially in the technology sector.
Increased Scrutiny of Digital Work Profiles
Under the new policy, consular officers have been directed to conduct detailed background checks on applicants by screening their professional backgrounds, LinkedIn profiles, published media mentions, and social media activity. Past involvement in combating misinformation, managing online safety systems, enforcing community standards, or moderating user-generated content can be viewed as a reason for denial under the new visa policy.
Officials are required to determine whether an applicant was “responsible for, or complicit in, censorship of protected expression in the United States.” If such evidence is found, the applicant can be declared ineligible for entry.
The administration has framed the move as a defense of American free speech. President Trump has repeatedly accused social media platforms of silencing conservative voices since his own bans following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that “foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of travelling to our country,” adding the era of “passive treatment” was over. A State Department spokesperson later said the US would not allow “foreign censors to muzzle Americans.
Why Indian Professionals Are At Risk?
India is among the world’s largest suppliers of H-1B visa workers to the US, especially in software engineering, data security, platform governance, compliance, and trust-and-safety operations. With thousands of Indians employed in global content verification and moderation roles for American tech giants, the new restrictions could sharply slow both hiring and mobility.
Industry leaders have expressed alarm at the broad definition of censorship. Alice Goguen Hunsberger, Vice President of Trust and Safety at PartnerHero, told NPR that trust and safety work includes critical efforts to prevent child sexual abuse material, online scams, financial fraud, and extremism. She warned that blocking global safety workers could weaken digital protection for US users.
The visa move follows a series of tightening immigration measures, including restrictions on foreign journalists, legal actions against media organisations, and a proposed steep hike in H-1B visa application fees. Thus for Indian technology professionals, the sudden policy shift adds a new layer of uncertainty to already competitive visa pathways.