Trump orders investigation into 175 companies over H-1B visa abuse

News Topical, Digital Desk : The US government has launched an investigation into potential abuse of the H-1B visa program. The investigation has been launched against at least 175 companies. The Labor Department has warned companies through a social media campaign that they should prioritize Americans for jobs in specific fields such as technology and engineering.

In fact, US President Donald Trump's administration recently made several major decisions regarding immigration reform and job protection. The government clarified that American jobs must be protected and local workers must be prioritized over foreign professionals. Following this, the DOL launched Project Firewall to ensure that employers are prioritizing US citizens for job positions.

Preference in jobs

The DOL launched Project Firewall in September to ensure employers prioritize US citizens for jobs and don't abuse the visa program, Fox News reported. The announcement comes at a time when a one-time fee of $100,000 has been imposed on H-1B visa applications.

Investigation revealed

At least 175 investigations have been launched to detect potential abuses of the H-1B visa program. However, the Labor Department did not provide details of the 175 investigations, which account for more than $15 million in unpaid wages to workers. However, the investigations have uncovered numerous flaws.

These deficiencies also revealed that some foreign workers with advanced educational degrees were paid significantly less than stated in job descriptions. The DOL stated that this concern led to lower wages for both visa holders and U.S. workers, with U.S. workers with similar educational qualifications being forced to accept lower salaries to remain competitive.

Not informed about termination of service

The investigation found that employers either did not notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services when an H-1B visa holder terminated their service, or there was a significant lag between the termination and the employer notifying the agency.

Another concern raised in the investigation was the Labor Condition Application (LCA), a form employers must file with the Department of Labor to hire foreign workers for the H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa programs. Employers are required to notify U.S. employees before hiring foreign workers when filing the LCA, the report said.

Employees also participated in benching

Employees were being paid less than what was stated in the LCA. Furthermore, employers were copying and pasting job notices for US workers that had no specific connection to the job stated on the form. The report further stated that some employees participated in benching, which occurs when H-1B visa holders are not paid in the middle of active work projects.

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