Employers of foreign teachers learned some hard lessons this year about following the rules for H-1B visa holders. In March, the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) assessed over $1.7 million in civil money penalties and ordered the payment of over $4.2 million in back wages against Maryland's Prince George's County Public Schools system for illegally reducing the wages of 1,044 foreign H-1B teachers when it required the teachers to pay H-1B filing fees.

That same month, Global Teachers Research and Resources, Inc. (an international employment company supplying foreign teachers to school districts in Georgia and other states) agreed to pay $77,958 in back wages to 22 foreign teachers for failure to pay them for employer-provided training and not keeping records of hours worked. If your school employs foreign teachers on H-1B visas, it is more important than ever to audit your compliance with the H-1B program requirements and take steps to ensure that you are not the next victim of a WHD investigation.