L&T Technology Services (LTTS), an India-based company with U.S. offices, has agreed to pay over $9.9 million to settle a visa fraud suit alleging it under payed visa fees by acquiring cheaper B-1 visas instead of the more expensive H-1B visas,. This is a violation of the False Claims Act.
LTTS, provides services and personnel to U.S. companies, utilized B-1 visas for its foreign national employees. The fees for B-1 visas were significantly lower, ranging from approximately $200 to $300, compared to the more expensive and stricter H-1B visas, which range from approximately $4,000 to $6,000 and are subject to an annual numerical cap.
Collaborative Investigation
The investigation was a joint effort by several law enforcement agencies. Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS Nebraska Service Center Fraud Detection Unit, the Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service
Jeffrey Newman is a whistleblower attorney handling cases nation wide under the False Claims Act. He can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or 617-823-3217
