Four Telugus in US in H-1B visa fraud case

Four people from AP and Telangana among others have been charged with visa fraud and conspiracy to harbour aliens for profit by the US Immigration and Customs and Enforcement department. In a major H-1B Visa fraud, ICE identified hundreds of people from the Telugu states who obtained jobs through fraudulent methods which not only included commissions and kickbacks, but also abuse of student visa programme.

A nationwide crackdown was conducted by the Officers of the US ICE and Homeland Security Investigations who exposed a fraud where hundreds of Chinese and Indians stayed back in the US via the “Pay-to-Stay” University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ). 21 persons including Karthik Nimmala, Dyavarshetty Govardhan, Avinash Shankar and Kodali Tejesh along with other Indians and Chinese who were brokers, recruiters and employers have been charged.

According to the US ICE, the University of Northern New Jersey was operated by agents posing as administrators and had no staff, curriculum or conducted any actual classes. But the University represented itself as a school that was eligible to issue the certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant (F-1) student status for academic and language students (Form I-20).

Hundreds of foreigners mainly from China and India who entered the United States on F-1 visas were identified by the HSI agents. The ICE said that 1,076 foreign individuals were enabled to fraudulently maintain their nonimmigrant status through the recruiting companies and business entities in New Jersey, California, Illinois, New York and Virginia.

Even the work authorization and work visas were fraudulently obtained via the University.