US moves to fight H1-B visa abuse

Washington: The US has said it will “rigorously” use its authority to initiate investigations of H1-B visa violators, signalling an intensified effort by the Trump administration to stop “abuse” of the programme mainly used by Indian IT companies and professionals.

The US Labour department said its effort to protect American workers will involve greater coordination with other government departments for investigation and, if necessary, prosecution.

The Labour department is the third federal agency after the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Justice department to implement the Trump administration’s pledge to prevent abuse of H1-B visas.

It said it fully supports the justice department in cautioning employers who petition for H1-B visas not to discriminate against US workers, as well as the homeland security department’s measures to further deter and detect H1-B visa fraud and abuse.

The labour department on Tuesday said it will protect American workers against discrimination by considering changes to Labour Condition Application for future application cycles.

The Labour Condition Application, which is a required part of the H1-B visa application process, may be updated to provide greater transparency for agency personnel, US workers and the general public, it said.

Two top Senators demanding reforms of the visa programme popular among Indian techies — Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin — said the measures announced by the various federal agencies were a welcome step but not enough. “This announcement by the Trump administration to target employers who abuse the H-1B programme is a welcomed first step toward preventing the firing of skilled American workers. However, much more needs to be done,” they said.