To probe hiring practices, visa usage.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: On the heels of the US Department of Justice issuing a around $35 million fine against Indian IT giant Infosys, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is launching a probe into other India-based IT companies to investigate their hiring trends.
Infosys was fined close to $35 million last week, the culmination of a two year-long investigation into allegations that the company was misusing visas to bring in foreign workers on B-1 rather than H-1B visas, consequently discriminating against US-based applicants for jobs. Now, the US government is said to be targeting companies like Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Wipro, and HCL Technologies, among others.
Although there is no official word on whether or not an investigation has begun, India’s National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has said that the US government and various Indian IT companies have been in discussion with each other regarding visa usage.
The US government is reportedly looking to probe hiring practices, regardless of if each company has already been involved in any legal entanglements.
NASSCOM, however, has said that it doesn’t believe the Infosys case will lead to any serious investigation.
These potential federal investigations into the visa system may have a bearing on the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, which was passed by the House earlier this year but has been stuck in the Senate since this summer. One of the bill’s aims is to de-incentivize companies from using H-1B visas to bring in workers, instead requiring companies to look at workers domestically before turning their eyes elsewhere.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com