Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) is seeking to increase the penalties for “willful” violations of H-1B visas by extending the minimum sponsorship bans and strengthening fines for documentation fraud.
Rep. Van Duyne’s H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act, co-sponsored by five other Texas Republicans, would raise fines for willful violations from $5,000 to $100,000, increase penalties for displacing U.S. workers from $35,000 to $250,000, and extend sponsorship bans from two to five years—and up to 10 years for worker displacement.
“When a business can lie to the government and push American workers aside for cheaper labor, and the worst it faces is a $5,000 fine, many view that as the cost of doing business,” Rep. Van Duyne said. “The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act changes the penalties.”
The Texas congresswoman said American workers should not lose job opportunities because “an employer is willing to break the law to get cheaper labor.”
“If a business decides it makes more economic sense to break the law and kick American workers to the curb, they should feel major pain for undercutting our economy and our hardworking employees,” she said.
Earlier this year, Rep. Van Duyne led a request to Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then Acting-Secretary Keith Sonderling and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging the Trump Administration to investigate H-1B fraud in North Texas.
This comes as Republicans have continued to push for stronger fraud protections and a crackdown on H-1B visa fraud this Congress.
“American jobs should go to American workers, and fraudsters should face real accountability for their actions,” Rep. Van Duyne said.
