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Over 175 potential H-1B frauds by employers under probe: US Department of Labor
The investigations are being carried out under the Department's Project Firewall, launched after Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Mon, 10, Nov 2025
- 01:04 EST
- 20
U.S. flag, mock passport, 100 dollar banknote and H-1B visa application form are seen in this illustration taken September 26, 2025. / REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
US authorities recently revealed that they have launched over 175 investigations in the last 2 months, targeting potential abuse of the H-1B visa program, according to a report by FOX news.
Launched by the US Department of Labor, the investigations are part of the ongoing Project Firewall. The project was kicked off in September 2025 to ensure that employers prioritize Americans when hiring workers and also hold them accountable if they abuse the H-1B visa process.
Highlighting the importance of the step, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement, “The Trump Administration is standing by our commitment to end practices that leave Americans in the dust. As we reestablish economic dominance, we must protect our most valuable resource: the American worker."
ALSO READ: Half of U.S. professionals say H-1B fee hike to fuel offshoring: Survey
Chavez-DeRemer also underscored the need to act against H-1B fraud and said, “By rooting out fraud and abuse, the Department of Labor and our federal partners will ensure that highly skilled jobs go to Americans first.”
Project Firewall was launched after President Donald Trump announced a steep $100,000 fee on Visa applications.
For decades, D.C. bureaucrats looked the other way as companies abused the H-1B visa and sold out the American Worker.
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) November 9, 2025
@POTUS and @SecretaryLCD are bringing this to an end—holding employers accountable for their abuse and ensuring American Jobs go to AMERICAN WORKERS pic.twitter.com/746kzC78Tw
The step tackles concerns that some foreign workers with advanced degrees were paid far below the job description rates. This practice depressed wages for both visa holders and U.S. workers, while pressuring American employees with similar qualifications to accept lower pay to remain competitive.
US laws also require employers to notify American workers before hiring foreign workers through H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa programs, via the Labor Condition Application (LCA) form. However, as per the report by FOX news, multiple employers filed fraudulent reports with non-existent work sites mentioned and workers kept unaware about the jobs they were supposedly assigned to perform as laid out in the applications.
It was also found that foreign workers were also exploited and were paid wages lower than what was mentioned in the LCA. Additionally, they were kept out of wage cycles while in-between two active projects.
If violations are found, it would lead to collection of back wages, the assessment of civil money penalties, and/or debarment from future use of the H-1B program for a prescribed period of time.
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