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Immigration Law

: Greg Siskind's Blog

11 INDICTED IN H-1B FRAUD CASE

By Greg Siskind

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ICE has announced the arrests of eleven individuals in seven states as part of an investigation in to visa and mail fraud. The arrested were employees of Vision Systems Group, Inc., a New Jersey company that is a so-called "job shop" placing IT workers from India. According to USCIS:

This investigation involves companies that sponsor primarily H-1B non-immigrants, or temporary
workers in specialty occupations that require particular expertise. The companies that are the subject of this investigation have asserted that the foreign workers have been brought to the U.S. to fill existing vacancies. However, the companies allegedly have not always had jobs available for these workers, thereby placing them in non-pay status after they arrive in the United States. In some cases, the foreign workers have allegedly been placed in jobs and locations not previously certified by the Department of Labor, displacing qualified American workers and violating prevailing wage laws. The companies and foreign workers have allegedly submitted false statements and documents in support of their visa petitions. The false statements and documents were mailed or wired to state and federal agencies in support of the visa applications. The companies are suspected of visa fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy.

As long time readers of this blog know,I've said many times that before issuing draconian new reforms to the H-1B system, we should first enforce the regulations on the books. The Labor Department needs more funds to do a better job enforcing existing rules and employers abusing workers and flouting our laws need to see more of these kinds of headlines.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on February 13, 2009 (boomark / email).