US Labor Department Cracks Down on H-1B Visa Fraud

The US Labor Department is cracking down on H-1B visa fraud and worker exploitation as part of a nationwide investigation, warning that the foreign-worker visa system could look significantly different within the next year.

Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito has stated that federal authorities are building cases involving alleged fake employers, sham jobs, visa mills, and potential exploitation of foreign workers.

The crackdown has already reached major technology companies, including Cognizant and Cloudera, with certain visa applications being suspended while criminal investigations were underway.

The administration has introduced several changes to H-1B policy, including a September 18 executive order that directs federal agencies to consider whether an employer has recently laid off US workers when evaluating H-1B applications.