The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has launched 175 investigations to uncover potential abuse of the H-1B visa program. The move comes under Project Firewall, introduced in September to ensure that American citizens are given fair job opportunities.
The initiative began after former President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 one-time fee on H-1B visa petitions. The probes revealed several violations that affected both foreign and American workers.
Investigators found that many foreign employees with advanced degrees were underpaid compared to their job descriptions. This practice, officials said, pushed down wages for all workers in similar roles. Employers were also caught delaying notifications to US Citizenship and Immigration Services after firing H-1B holders.
Further inquiries exposed irregularities in the Labor Condition Application (LCA) process. Some listed work sites did not exist, and employees were unaware of the jobs assigned to them. Several firms copied generic job notices with no link to real positions.
The DOL also discovered cases of “benching,” where H-1B workers went unpaid between projects. The department said these findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen oversight of the visa system.
