Trump Administration Probes 175 Cases Of H-1B Visa Misuse, Says US Labour Department

The Trump administration has initiated around 175 investigations into potential misuse of the H-1B visa programme, targeting issues such as underpayment of workers, false work sites, and the “benching” of employees, according to PTI.

The US Department of Labour said the probes are part of a wider effort to protect American jobs. “As part of our mission to protect American Jobs, we’ve launched 175 investigations into H-1B abuse,” the department announced in a post on X on Friday.

It added that under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the agency will continue its efforts to prioritise American workers.

Chavez-DeRemer wrote on X that the Labour Department “is using every resource at our disposal to put a stop to H-1B abuse and protect American Jobs. Under the leadership of @POTUS, we’ll continue to invest in our workforce and ensure high-skilled job opportunities go to American Workers FIRST!”

According to PTI, the H-1B visa programme allows US companies—particularly in the technology sector—to hire foreign professionals. Indian nationals, including IT specialists and doctors, make up a large portion of H-1B visa holders.

Fox News reported that while the Labour Department did not release details of the 175 ongoing probes, they involve over USD 15 million in calculated back wages owed to workers. The department said investigators have found “a bounty of concerns,” including instances where foreign workers with advanced qualifications were paid significantly below the wages advertised in job descriptions.

Officials said such practices depress wages for both visa-holders and American employees, forcing domestic workers with comparable qualifications to accept lower pay to remain competitive.

The investigations also uncovered cases where employers failed to notify the US Citizenship and Immigration Services after terminating H-1B employees, with some showing considerable delays in reporting such terminations. In other cases, work sites listed on visa documents did not exist, and some workers were unaware of the roles they were purportedly hired to perform.

According to PTI, several probes also revealed “benching,” where H-1B workers receive no pay while awaiting new project assignments.

In September, President Trump issued a proclamation titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, marking what the administration described as an initial step to reform the H-1B visa system. Under the order, H-1B petitions filed after 21 September 2025 must include an additional payment of USD 100,000 as a condition of eligibility.

(With inputs from PTI)