A new Republican bill in the US House would sharply increase penalties for employers found to have committed serious H-1B visa violations, raising the maximum fine from $35,000 to $250,000 as the Trump administration and lawmakers intensify scrutiny of the foreign-worker program.
Beth Van Duyne on October 1, would also lengthen bans on companies that violate immigration rules. Under the bill, penalties for serious H-1B violations would rise from $35,000 to $250,000, while the minimum period during which a violator could be barred from participating in immigration programs would increase from three years to 10 years. For another category of violations, the fine would rise from $5,000 to $100,000 and the minimum ban from two years to five years.
The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act, introduced by Texas Republican Rep. It has been introduced in the House and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would need to clear the House and Senate and be signed by the president before the proposed higher penalties could take effect.
The proposal comes amid a broader push to tighten oversight of H-1B visas, which allow US employers to hire foreign workers for specialty occupations. Van Duyne has argued that stronger penalties are needed to deter employers from abusing the program and to protect US workers. The proposed legislation arrives as the administration pursues several changes to the H-1B program. The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act is only a proposal at this stage. Five other Texas Republicans, Brandon Gill, Pete Sessions, Keith Self, Brian Babin and Pat Fallon, are listed as cosponsors.
