H-1B visas, which allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty fields, are crucial for U.S. tech companies which recruit heavily from countries including India and China. Many of those companies’ leaders threw their support behind Trump in the last presidential election. Details on the enhanced vetting for H-1B visas, including the focus on censorship and free speech, have not been previously reported. The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy. As part of his wide-ranging crackdown on immigration, Trump in September imposed new fees on H-1B visas.
