For the past few months, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services ("CIS") has conducted an investigation program aimed at visiting H-1B petitioner worksites throughout the U.S. These site visits began as part of the CIS’ goal to decrease the number of H-1B violations and instances of fraud reported by the H-1B Benefit Fraud & Compliance Assessment from CIS’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (“FDNS”), published this past September.

Why should employers care? Any employer who sponsored a foreign national worker for an H-1B visa can be subject to an unannounced site visit. What this means is that an investigator can randomly show up at a worksite and demand to see a copy of the H-1B petition, interview the person who represented the company in connection with the H-1B as well as the H-1B employee. Any inconsistencies found can mean big trouble for employers.

Presently CIS has turned over the names of close to 40,000 companies across the US for investigative action via unannounced site visits. For more information about these H-1B site visits, as well as helpful tips to prepare employers for these visits, please visit us at www.visaserve.com.