New US Bill Proposes H-1B Visa Violation Fines Up to $250,000

The Trump administration is intensifying its scrutiny of legal immigration programs, with a particular focus on the H-1B visa system. A new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives aims to raise the maximum fine for certain H-1B visa violations from $35,000 to $250,000. Additionally, the bill proposes extending the ban on violators from participating in immigration programs from three years to ten years.

The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act, introduced by Representative Beth Van Duyne of Texas, seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties for serious violations of the H-1B program. Co-sponsors include Representatives Gill, Sessions, Self, Babin, and Fallon. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee but has not yet become law.

Under the proposed legislation, fines for another category of H-1B violations would increase from $5,000 to $100,000, with the exclusion period from immigration programs extending from two years to five years. The bill also targets document fraud related to immigration, proposing higher fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for one category and $20,000 to $50,000 for a more serious category.

For the bill to become law, it must pass both the House and the Senate and receive presidential approval. Until then, existing penalties for H-1B violations and immigration-related document fraud will remain in effect.