Nearly 70 Indian nationals are suing the US government, alleging that their H-1B visa applications were wrongly denied due to fraudulent activities by their employers.
According to local media, these people were participating in a training program for foreign graduates of American colleges and universities. Although they were not directly involved in the fraudulent activities of their employers, they suffered the consequences of the refusal of their visa application.
As a result, they decided to file a lawsuit in federal district court in Washington state to seek justice for the unfair treatment they received, Divine Associates ltd reports.
According to the plaintiffs, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) falsely denied
them H-1B visas for specialized jobs without giving them an opportunity to respond to allegations of fraud. The graduates are asking the court to overturn the DHS decision allowing them to respond to allegations of fraud before making a decision on their eligibility to travel to the United States.
Furthermore, the Agency’s failure to inform visa applicants of the action taken against them is considered a procedural error, further emphasizing the importance of fair treatment. The H-1B visa allows U.S. employers to find temporary workers from other countries to work in specific fields, such as computer scientists, architects, and doctors. Recently, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the second round of random selection for the H-1B visa
program for fiscal year 2024 has ended.
Earlier, an Indian-born Democratic lawmaker, Raja Krishnamoorthi, introduced legislation that would increase the annual number of foreign workers with H-1B visas to attract more workers to the United States. Furthermore, Krishnamoorthi said creating new jobs and building the economy of the future will help attract top talent from around the world.
“That’s why I’m proud to introduce the HIRE Act to increase investment in STEM education in elementary and middle schools while doubling the number of H-1B visas available from 65,000 to 130,000. By investing in our local talent while attracting the best minds from around the world, we can create better paying jobs and harness the technology of
tomorrow “he said.
Indian nationals are the main beneficiaries of the US H-1B visa program. Figures provided by USCIS show that of the 441,000 H-1B applications received last year, 72.6%, or 320,000, were awarded to Indian nationals. The same source found that, alongside India, Chinese nationals also rank second, with the United States awarding 12.5% of H-1B visa applications to Chinese nationals.
