We hear from many H-1B holders who have been benched or underpaid, but who think it’s best if they first find a new job, return to school, or obtain some other status to enable them to stay in the United States before they complain about their H-1B employer who underpaid them or violated the law. The reality [...]
The H-1B employees who were originally indicted as co-conspirators in connection with Vision Systems work visa fraud scheme have either plead guilty to reduced charges or had charges dismissed last year. Apparently, these results were in exchange for the H-1B workers cooperating with the investigation and prosecution of their employer. Most of those who plead guilty did [...]
Following up on a story we reported on in February 2009, the two owners of the now defunct IT services firm Vision Systems pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with submitting a fraudulent H-1B petition, and they were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $236,250 in restitution to USCIS. Vision [...]
H-1B and other employers who run work visa scams have more to fear than just the Department of Labor for their violations. These employers increasingly are facing criminal convictions and imprisonment on charges typically used against organized crime and trafficking rings, such as the Mafia. In the past several months, federal prosecutors have publicized several cases against [...]
Image via Wikipedia If you are a worker reading this blog, it may be because you are considering (or already pursuing) a legal action. Often, a worker pursues a legal action based only on his or own knowledge, and without additional proof, i.e. without evidence such as documents or witness statements. This post focuses on [...]
Image by debaird™ via Flickr If you’re a worker who believes you’re owed unpaid wages, there are a few pressing things to consider upfront, such as: (1) learning legal deadlines that may apply; and (2) promptly organizing information and documents that describe the unpaid wage issues, i.e. getting your ducks in a row. When a [...]
via itunes.apple.com The U.S. Department of Labor recently created a smartphone-application (“app”), posted at this website, for workers to use to track their work hours and verify correct wages are being paid by their employers. The app, which is free, allows workers to keep their own work-hour records, as there are often situations where their [...]
Readers interested in H-1B worker issues may already know of many websites with information about H-1B employers and H-1B filings. But in case you haven’t heard, below are some websites with H-1B-related information that may be of interest. (Please note these websites are potential resources for information of interest, but this blog’s authors are not [...]
Image by owaief89 via Flickr If you are a worker paid a salary, then you may be ineligible for overtime pay, assuming other circumstances exist as well. (Being paid a salary is one of multiple criteria that must be met before an employer can consider you overtime-exempt). However, some workers who are called “salaried” workers [...]
According to a press release on the U.S. Department of Labor’s website: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Maryland’s Prince George’s County Public Schools system in willful violation of the laws that govern the H-1B temporary foreign worker visa program. Investigators found that PGCPS illegally reduced the wages [...]
