Uncle Sam claims H-1B fraud crackdown is working as registrations drop 25% US immigration officials say they are winning the war on H-1B fraud – and say they've got the numbers to prove it. Applications for the work visa for Uncle Sam's fiscal 2026 – the 12 months running from October 2025 to September 2026 – dropped by about 25 percent year over year, with eligible filings down even further. The …
Why study IT, get in debt for life if companies can bring in workers from overseas at fraction of the local market rate.
Bonus points, extra pressure on housing, healthcare and other infrastructure.
Then those people not pay as much tax as local would, they typically send money to their families overseas and the company that hires them very much pays voluntary tax just to keep tax man at bay.
Of course these corporations are owned by investment funds that also own the media. The media will tell you that if you don't like it, then you are right wing nutter.
You should embrace being poor and admire those CEOs in their yachts and be a good slave, sorry citizen.
I would of stopped at why study IT?
If they don't bring people in to <insert country here> then they'll just offshore it to the same country they recruit from
Throw in where they do hire in country, they are based in locations where the property is so crippling expensive that you'll have share a one bed slum with 18 other people.
It's about control and security - so that they know the people they hired are actually people who will be delivering the work.
With offshoring, you might not be getting the people you pay for and create a whole host of issues.
Corporations want their keyboard slaves here, to fill their corporate real estate, so it keeps the artificial value.
It depends how you offshore. The problem you mention happens if you subcontract it to a local company in a different country which is contracted to provide a service, but if you set up your own local subsidiary and employ people as employees, then you do know exactly who is doing the work because you selected and approved them manually. The two are very different, and comparing them as if they all work the same will lead to incorrect conclusions.
but if you set up your own local subsidiary and employ people as employees, then you do know exactly who is doing the work because you selected and approved them manually.
That doesn't exactly get the "control" bit. Immigrants working on a visa can be exploited substantially more than if they are on their own turf. Subsidiary also limits your sourcing to just one country at a time, whereas onshoring can get you a blend of slaves, sorry employees from multiple countries. You also not always want to expose your IP to a country that might be hostile.
Imagine a scenario that their home grown competitor bribes the local police to seize your office and download all the data under a made up complaint.
Well, in theory at least, according to the US Department of Labor:
1) The intent of the H-1B provisions is to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorized to work in the United States.
2) Employers must attest to the Department of Labor that they will pay wages to the H-1B nonimmigrant workers that are at least equal to the actual wage paid by the employer to other workers with similar experience and qualifications for the job in question, or the prevailing wage for the occupation in the area of intended employment – whichever is greater.
3) The H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.
4) A specialty occupation is one that requires the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
In practice though, all of the folks I've known under H-1B actually had PhDs in STEM, most from US universities.
H-1B has been a scam from its inception.
Some studies show that only 1.4% of H-1B's hired as coders can actually program.
In places like India when a certification class is offered if anyone in the class passes the whole class passes.
The Indian government subsidies H-1B abuse and considers it a trade item.
If someone earns half to the salary that local would, they pay less than half of the tax (assuming there is progressive tax in place).
In the UK, developer at £80k would yield £32k in direct employment taxes. Immigrant developer with highest going rate band at £49k would only yield £15k in tax.
No one’s blaming individuals for wanting a better life.
The issue is that corporations deliberately exploit global wage differences to suppress local wages and sidestep their fair share of contributions. They benefit from infrastructure, healthcare, and education funded by the public - while doing everything possible to minimise their own costs.
Deflecting with "but they’re being exploited!" ignores that everyone is - except the people at the top pulling the strings. This is deliberately engineered race to the bottom.
If you can’t see that, maybe ask why the media always frames any criticism of this model as xenophobia, instead of class politics.
Also no, they don’t "pay as much tax as a local" - they pay tax proportional to their (lower) wage, which is less. That’s the entire point.
The system isn't just underpaying them - it’s also reducing the overall tax contribution while the employer keeps the difference and transfers offshore to tax havens. So yes, they're underpaid and less tax is collected. That’s not a win for anyone but the corporation.
>Then those people not pay as much tax as local would,
They pay more tax (they statistically have fewer of the deductibles that make tax time in America so much fun) and don't get anything back for all those social programs they pay into
The real problem is those old people claiming Medicaid and pensions and retirement benefits. Once we get rid of this liberal open-door policy that lets people stay in the country just because they were born there and worked their all their lives, we will see some real savings. And increased employment and lower house prices.
Considering that Trump's jackboots in ICE have been pulling green cards and deporting people who haven't been convicted or even accused of any crimes, why would anyone want to enter the US on a green card at this point in time? Even people employed in research or other fields where they are making salaries well into 6 figures and not only paying a lot of taxes into the US but helping provide economic growth.
Even if all that happens is you get put on a plane back to your home country it is still pretty disruptive moving halfway around the world for a new job and then having that all ripped away for no reason.
"why would anyone want to enter the US on a green card at this point in time?"
Maybe better shortened to:
why would anyone want to enter the US on a green card at this point in time?
I was talking to a Canadian the other day who has now cancelled plans to visit the US on a work related matter. He said that in the recent past, if the Canada/US border officials took a dislike to anyone, they just refused entry and told them to go back. Nowadays they are more likely to detain you for an indeterminate period of time.
Considering that Trump's jackboots in ICE have been pulling green cards and deporting people who haven't been convicted or even accused of any crimes, why would anyone want to enter the US on a green card at this point in time? Even people employed in research or other fields where they are making salaries well into 6 figures and not only paying a lot of taxes into the US but helping provide economic growth.
Even if all that happens is you get put on a plane back to your home country it is still pretty disruptive moving halfway around the world for a new job and then having that all ripped away for no reason.
And you have seen this where? Personally, or on a democrat web site?
A green card IS NOT a pathway to citizenship. It merely allows someone to work and live "legally' in the US.
You do not NEED a green card to apply for citizenship, nor does it give you an advantage in attaining citizenship!
That statement is inaccurate and uninformed!
In most countries, in order to naturalize, you have to have been living, legally, in the country for a certain number of years, not counting certain types of residence that don't qualify you like student visas. If you don't have one mechanism for doing that, then you need another one. There are often not too many choices, and it's not like you get a long menu because you might not qualify for all of the ones that do exist.
The Green Card is actually a receipt for an immigrant visa. (Although journalists persistently refer to anyone who's trying to stay in the country regardless of status as an 'immigrant' only a Green Card holder is actually an immigrant.)
Citizenship is granted exclusively by Federal courts who could in theory give it to anyone they choose. In practice the CIS processes citizenship applications with the end result being that they propose lists of applicants for the court to swear in. Often an arena will be made temporarily into a courtroom for this purpose so -- literally -- thousands of people can be naturalized in one session. The most common way to become a citizen is to have been a LPR for five years (three if you were admitted by marriage). ("Its all on the website")
A H1 or any other non-immigrant visa will not qualify you for permanent residency. You have to apply to the CIS for a "Change in Status" which, if approved, will get allot you a visa number. How long you have to wait for a number depends on where you're from and what 'preference category' you're in (Reg readers are likely to be Third Preference). The wait can theoretically exceed a lifetime.
Oh yes. I'm am immigrant, been through the system from H1 to citizenship. Suffice to say that if I was starting over right at this moment I'd have picked another country -- any country -- rather than the US. Although the US blows hot and cold about immigration -- we're currently in one of our "Operation Wetback" phases -- that's not as important as the employment situation. Working in the US is currently a really bad deal compared to how it was 40 years ago. Its potentially fun for the adventurous but not stable enough for the long term.
Now you've done it.
The thing that everyone here (or: in IT) regards as abhorrently bad is negatively impacted and lessened to whatever degree. This happened under the administration of a person whose every action is, by definition, wrong and detrimental.
It's a paradox. This one is only going to be solved by a low number of comments.
Broken moon-phase clock, right once a month. Entirely by accident - but happy to claim credit as though it's 4-d chess. Yell louder until other people solve the problems.
This post has been deleted by its author
Why would we want to live in any society like The New Republic?
After 30+ years of existence they were reduced to a rag tag bunch of resistance fighters and the majority of the Galaxy had returned to the remnants of the Empire, the "First Order".
Both Republics were corrupt, mismanaged, and doomed to collapse!
We are in the process for forming a new order, built on strong economic relationships, military cooperation, and mutual respect. We respect cultural differences. It's none of our business of Arab states want to have modesty laws, etc. Because, unlike the "busy body" left, and the NeoCon war mongers, telling people how to live their lives and run their countries doesn't build conditions for mutual cooperation!
Long Live the Empire!
The US welcomes over 1 million LEGAL immigrants in every year and the only ones "confused" on the issue
are the ones that attempt to conflate the LEGAL immigrants and illegal aliens, by rebranding them "undocumented immigrants" so they can
foam at the mouth and claim anti-immigrant biases that just don't exist.
They started to crack down on H1B visa fraud because there are too many unemployed STEM workers for the elites in power to pretend that the need
is "that" great and the politicians to go along with it because they want to keep "their" jobs.
Besides, the great layoffs have already pushed down wages and that's the real reason why they keep bringing in foreigners with fake degrees to do
entry level jobs. Its not there is "zero" need, but the number of geniuses has always been low and right now the big demand is for those with AI experience
which will, of course, eventually cut down the need for many of the lower skilled STEM workers .. eventually.
And yes, there are fake degrees out there. When you have someone who supposedly has a PHD the pay restrictions are not the same as it is with a lower
degree on the theory that its not needed.
The solution to dealing with fakes is simply set up a minimum pay of $200K per year and that pay must go to the worker.
Any attempt at kickbacks or the like would give the worker the right to sue for ten times the damages to encourage them to turn evidence.
You'd see the declared "need" evaporate instantly and higher quality workers would line up for the chance to get good pay.
I agree with most of this, but wage controls breed unemployment. We tried that in the early 70's and if was an utter failure.
The answer is not to hire people based on degrees but on knowledge and experience. Test applicants for relevant knowledge, verify work experience. Get rid of the rules that prevents former employers from divulging the poor work history of their former employers. Currently, (in the US) all you can get from a former employer is "yes, they worked here". Employers will not answer truthfully for fear of being sued.
This author is an idiot living in his insulated bubble of TDS!
Trump has always stated he is in favor of legal immigration. He's stated many times we need the 'best and brightest' to come here.
The fact is, H1B has been abused. It was design to allow American companies to back fill position that they could not fill from the US workforce, instead it's been used to replace Americans with cheaper imported labor. There has been little enforcement from the government to stop that. Why? Because the campaign money is flowing from these corporations!
Little tip for you and your Dear Leader... the "best and brightest" don't want to live in a facist shit-hole with no education system, no health system, crippling prices due to tarrifs on everything and government stormtroopers deporting people to concentration camps in another country.
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Uncle Sam claims H-1B fraud crackdown is working as registrations drop 25%
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Re: Blinded by TDS
Little tip for you and your Dear Leader... the "best and brightest" don't want to live in a facist shit-hole with no education system, no health system, crippling prices due to tarrifs on everything and government stormtroopers deporting people to concentration camps in another country.
That's why we couldn't get them under Biden. Education was, let me cut your penis off, let me sew up your vagina, you boys should date boys not girls. You must recognize pronouns, they are the new sir and mam. Stats showed we were way down the list. People graduating high school with a 4th grade reading level. Math proficiency down, failure at knowing geography. Homosexuals protesting for Palestine? So stupid in world affairs they didn't know that homosexuals were killed in Palestine. Look up the tariffs Biden had and compare them to what Trump has negotiated them to. Look up which president established actual concentration camps. Hint: wasn't Trump. You, whatever you are, possibly an AI bot, have no idea about what you are posting about. Pure idiot fantasy.
Maybe in Russia that's unthinkable, comrade - but in free societies, people can protest for others even when they disagree.
That’s not hypocrisy. That’s solidarity.
You don’t need to share someone’s identity, beliefs, or politics to believe they deserve rights and dignity.
If your worldview collapses the moment it encounters a contradiction, maybe it wasn’t that strong to begin with.
The classic 'I support legal immigration - just not the kind that actually exists' argument. Funny how ‘best and brightest’ always ends up meaning ‘cheap and compliant’ - as long as they stay quiet, grateful, and don’t challenge the status quo. But sure, let’s blame desperate workers instead of the corporations writing the laws and dodging the taxes. Very original.
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