H-1B under the scanner: Trump admin signals major changes to visa system in 365 days
The US H-1B visa system could look significantly different within a year as federal investigators widen a probe into alleged misuse of the foreign-worker programme, including claims of fraudulent hiring, worker exploitation and human trafficking.
The warning came from Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito, who said the government is putting substantial resources into investigating how the foreign-labour system is being used and whether companies have abused it.
Also Read: Trump extends $100,000 H-1B visa fee order for another year
D’Esposito himself did not announce a shutdown. He said investigators were building a case around alleged abuses of the foreign-labour system and warned that the programme could look substantially different within a year.
“We are building a case. I think that the efforts and the focus that you see from the White House and from this administration is telling a story. We are laying out the case very vividly to the American people,” D’Esposito said in an interview posted by Benny Johnson on X.
“I think that the foreign labor visa program is going to look very different 365 days from now than it does today,” he added.
The comments come as federal authorities step up enforcement against companies and practices they believe have misused the H-1B system.
Investigation moves beyond paperwork
D’Esposito said the probe is focused on more than technical or administrative violations. Investigators are seeking to build a broader case around alleged abuses of the foreign-worker system.
“This is not a paperwork accounting issue, that this is real,” he said, adding that investigators were putting together their case and using significant resources to show the public what they had found.
He has also signalled a tougher approach to H-1B enforcement. In an earlier X post, D’Esposito accused the system of being vulnerable to practices involving alleged fake employers, sham jobs and “visa mills”, alongside worker exploitation.
Trump administration tightens H-1B oversight
The investigation comes against the backdrop of wider efforts by the Trump administration to tighten controls around H-1B hiring.
A September 18 executive order asks the Labor Department, Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to examine whether companies seeking H-1B workers have laid off US employees in comparable positions.
The order also calls for the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division to review Labor Condition Applications that employers have already filed and decide whether additional action is necessary.
Also Read: H-1B visa rule changes: US expands $4,000 fee as Indian workers raise Green Card backlog concerns
Separately, restrictions on the entry of certain H-1B workers have been extended through September 21, 2027. For covered petitions involving workers outside the US, the proclamation generally requires a $100,000 payment, although exceptions apply.
The White House has said the earlier restriction led to a 92% fall in H-1B registrations from the largest US IT outsourcing companies and a sharp decline in requests for consular processing. These figures are based on measurements reported by the administration.
For now, the latest comments point to more scrutiny and enforcement rather than an end to the H-1B programme. The investigation, company-level actions and potential policy changes are expected to shape how the system operates over the coming year.
(With inputs from TOI)
The warning came from Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito, who said the government is putting substantial resources into investigating how the foreign-labour system is being used and whether companies have abused it.
Also Read: Trump extends $100,000 H-1B visa fee order for another year
D’Esposito himself did not announce a shutdown. He said investigators were building a case around alleged abuses of the foreign-labour system and warned that the programme could look substantially different within a year.
“We are building a case. I think that the efforts and the focus that you see from the White House and from this administration is telling a story. We are laying out the case very vividly to the American people,” D’Esposito said in an interview posted by Benny Johnson on X.
“I think that the foreign labor visa program is going to look very different 365 days from now than it does today,” he added.
The comments come as federal authorities step up enforcement against companies and practices they believe have misused the H-1B system.
Investigation moves beyond paperwork
D’Esposito said the probe is focused on more than technical or administrative violations. Investigators are seeking to build a broader case around alleged abuses of the foreign-worker system.
“This is not a paperwork accounting issue, that this is real,” he said, adding that investigators were putting together their case and using significant resources to show the public what they had found.
He has also signalled a tougher approach to H-1B enforcement. In an earlier X post, D’Esposito accused the system of being vulnerable to practices involving alleged fake employers, sham jobs and “visa mills”, alongside worker exploitation.
Trump administration tightens H-1B oversight
The investigation comes against the backdrop of wider efforts by the Trump administration to tighten controls around H-1B hiring.
A September 18 executive order asks the Labor Department, Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to examine whether companies seeking H-1B workers have laid off US employees in comparable positions.
The order also calls for the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division to review Labor Condition Applications that employers have already filed and decide whether additional action is necessary.
Also Read: H-1B visa rule changes: US expands $4,000 fee as Indian workers raise Green Card backlog concerns
Separately, restrictions on the entry of certain H-1B workers have been extended through September 21, 2027. For covered petitions involving workers outside the US, the proclamation generally requires a $100,000 payment, although exceptions apply.
The White House has said the earlier restriction led to a 92% fall in H-1B registrations from the largest US IT outsourcing companies and a sharp decline in requests for consular processing. These figures are based on measurements reported by the administration.
For now, the latest comments point to more scrutiny and enforcement rather than an end to the H-1B programme. The investigation, company-level actions and potential policy changes are expected to shape how the system operates over the coming year.
(With inputs from TOI)
Next Story