Nov 17 2009

USCIS Is Conducting 25,000 Site Inspections of H-1B Employers

In response to a study conducted last year that found cases of fraud and other infringements in one out of every five H-1B applications, USCIS is stepping up its enforcement of the skilled worker program. This fiscal year, federal inspectors plan to conduct 25,000 on-site inspections of U.S. companies that have hired foreign workers under the H-1B program. This is five times as many inspections as there were last fiscal year.

In a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas commented that the inspections of companies began in July of this year. The program, according to Mayorkas, determines “whether the location of employment actually exists and if a beneficiary is employed at the location specified, performing the duties as described, and paid the salary as identified in the petition.”

This new enforcement initiative has been implemented in tandem with an increase in demands for detailed documentation for foreign worker applications from USCIS.