US H-1B Visa Rules Tightened..

Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill in the US House of Representatives seeking to significantly increase penalties for certain violations of the H-1B visa programme. The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act (H.R. 10643), introduced by Representative Beth Van Duyne along with five other Republican lawmakers on October 1, proposes a maximum civil penalty of $250,000 for serious violations involving the willful displacement of US workers, along with a sponsorship ban of at least 10 years. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and is not yet law.

The legislation also proposes increasing penalties for other willful H-1B violations to up to $100,000 and extending the minimum sponsorship ban from two to five years. It seeks tougher action against immigration document fraud as well, with proposed penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per document and higher penalties of up to $50,000 in certain repeat cases. The proposals are aimed primarily at employers and sponsors that violate H-1B rules rather than changing the visa programme itself.