The US Department of Labour's Office of the Inspector General has initiated an investigation into alleged fraud in H-1B and PERM work visa programmes. Indian IT firm Cognizant is among the companies under scrutiny for widespread schemes involving fraudulent applications, exploitation of foreign workers, and undercutting American labour. The probe aims to dismantle networks exploiting the guest worker visa system.
A group of Republican lawmakers in the US Congress has introduced a bill proposing a three-year pause to the H1-B visa programme, citing concerns that it is being used to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.
The UK has imposed a study visa ban on Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan due to a surge in asylum applications, with further restrictions on skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders.
In what is seen as a U-turn, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend the H-1B visa programme to bring talent from across the world, saying a foreign investor cannot pull people off an unemployment line, who haven't worked in five years, and start making missiles.
A US Homeland Security official says America will continue using the H-1B visa programme, emphasizing integrity and vetting, while highlighting increased naturalization rates under the Trump administration.
US Representative Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, introduced the 'Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions Act or EXILE Act', a bill that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the H-1B visa programme.
Eleven Indian nationals residing illegally in the US have been charged with visa fraud for allegedly conspiring to stage armed robberies of convenience stores to fraudulently claim victim status on immigration applications.
'This idea that inexpensive tech consultants should be coming into this country and bringing their families, I find it just wrong.'
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk voices strong support for the H1B visa program, highlighting the immense benefit the US has derived from Indian talent and cautioning against shutting it down.
The US has replaced random H-1B selection with a wage-weighted lottery and a new $100,000 fee for applications, raising uncertainty for students and junior hires.
The Trump administration has announced a massive increase in H-1B visa fees, imposing a $100,000 annual charge that will fundamentally alter how American companies hire skilled foreign workers, particularly impacting Indian IT professionals who comprise the largest group of beneficiaries.
The Delhi high court has recalled its order regarding The Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan's OCI status, citing suppression of facts related to a prior court order.
The White House mentioned that American companies are replacing US workers with H-1B workers.
'As one of many immigrants at Nvidia, I know the opportunities we've found in America have profoundly shaped our lives.'
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restricting entry of certain non-immigrant workers and imposing a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas, citing abuse of the program and national security concerns.
Data reveals a disturbing trend of Indian worker deaths abroad, particularly in Gulf nations, alongside numerous complaints of exploitation and labour rights violations.
The Trump administration is proposing to limit the duration of visas for foreign students and media personnel in the US, potentially impacting their ability to stay in the country.
Indian-American executive Srini Gopalan has been appointed chief executive officer of telecom operator T-Mobile, amid ongoing debates over H-1B visa policies. Gopalan's appointment, effective from November 1, 2025, comes as US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a staggering $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, triggering widespread panic, concern and fear among Indian professionals on work visa.
The Donald Trump administration has clarified that the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas does not apply to current visa holders and is a one-time payment only for new petitions.
The Bombay High Court has denied bail to a man accused of trafficking educated youth on the pretext of providing them jobs abroad, only to coerce them to carry out cyber fraud activities.
As the US gets tougher with visas, the prayers of US-bound devotees in India are getting more fervent, and their purse strings looser. Called Visa Hanuman temples (there are half a dozen all over India), some of them ask for a 'fee'.
Saudi Arabia has scrapped its decades-old Kafala system, freeing 13 million migrant workers, including 2.6 million Indians, from restrictive employer control and exit visa rules.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the Consulate General of India in Dubai to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of a 25-year-old Indian woman who is allegedly held captive in Dubai by a foreign national.
A deep dive into Trump's new policy and what it means for Indian professionals and companies.
'The kids are already used to this place. We go back and that's a different environment.' 'So, mentally, emotionally we are stressed.'
The US President said that companies have to bring people to "get those plants opened, we want you to do that, and we want those people to teach our people how to make computer chips and how to make other things."
Noting that Indians have been benefited most from the H-1B and L1 work visas, a senior US official has said there have been some cases of abuse of these visa categories in India.
Getting the popular work visa will become tougher for Indian-Americans.
'If the Trump administration decides to put guardrails on H-1B visas, that will surely impact both US and Indian firms.'
The 'Protect and Grow American Jobs Act', which, makes important changes to the eligibility requirements for H1-B visa exemptions was re-introduced on Wednesday
A major divide has emerged within Donald Trump's MAGA team in the United States, as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy who advocated for the expansion of the visa program for 'highly skilled workers' faced heavy backlash from within President-elect's base, CNN reported.
A group of influential lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan legislation in the US Senate to comprehensively overhaul the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes and usher in more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
The proposed changes are forward-looking and non-specific, said Nasscom
The unnamed 24-year-old suspect worked at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport and is said to have charged customers GBP 25,000 per trip to abuse a loophole and fly them across the British Airways network without crucial visa documents.
According to a statement issued by the Grand Mufti's office, the decision was made after a high-level meeting held in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where it was decided to completely cancel the death sentence, which had been temporarily suspended earlier.
The driver of the SUV that fatally struck Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathoner, has been arrested. Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 26, was apprehended and his vehicle seized. The incident occurred on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in Punjab's Jalandhar district.
A United States court has sentenced an Indian-American couple to prison for coercing their relative to work at their gas station and convenience store for over three years by bringing him to the United States on the pretext of helping enrol him in a school.
Details of massive fraud and abuse of the popular H-2B work visa programme have been made public by a government report, which shows that in one of such cases more than 87 Indian nationals paid at least $20,000 each to enter the US illegally.
The USCIS announcement indicated that the US government is going to be tough and stringent in approval of H-1B visas this year.
