A $9.9 Million Settlement for US Visa Fraud by an Indian IT Company

The US Attorney for the District of South Carolina has announced that Indian company L&T Technology Services must pay $9,928,000 to settle claims involving underpaid visa fees by the False Claims Act.

According to the report, between 2014 and 2019, L&T Tech paid $200-300 for B-1 visas for foreign workers instead of $4-6,000 for H-1B visas.

There is no quota for the B-1 visa, and it does not allow foreign nationals to work for pay in the United States. In contrast, the annual quota for H-1B visas is 65,000 for foreign nationals holding the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in a specialty occupation and an additional 20,000 for those holding a master's degree or its equivalent in a specialty occupation.

L&T Tech has staffed its Edison, NJ, headquarters with new hires. While L&T Tech cooperated with investigators, they remained unrepentant about any wrongdoing. These claims are related to a whistleblower lawsuit filed in Charleston, South Carolina.

The US immigration laws "are intended to protect American jobs for American workers," according to the South Carolina district attorney, and his office will "hold accountable those who dodge this country's visa requirements."