US House bill proposes raising serious H-1B violation fines from $35,000 to $250,000 and extending employer bans from at least 3 years to 10 years as Washington’s visa crackdown intensifies | World News
A Republican lawmaker in the US House has introduced legislation that would significantly increase the penalties facing employers found to have committed serious violations of the H-1B visa programme, as scrutiny of the foreign-worker system grows under the Trump administration.The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act, introduced by Texas Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne on October 1, proposes raising the maximum fine for serious violations from $35,000 to $250,000. It would also extend the period during which companies could be barred from participating in immigration programmes.The bill is part of a wider effort in Congress and the Trump administration to tighten oversight of the H-1B system, which allows US employers to hire foreign workers for specialised occupations.
Proposed penalties would rise sharply
Under Van Duyne’s proposal, the minimum ban on employers found responsible for serious H-1B violations would increase from three years to 10 years. The legislation would also raise the fine for another category of violations from $5,000 to $100,000, while extending the minimum exclusion period from two years to five years.The bill also targets fraudulent documentation. Penalties currently ranging from $250 to $2,000 would increase to between $1,000 and $10,000. Another existing fine range of $2,000 to $5,000 would rise to between $20,000 and $50,000.Van Duyne has argued that stronger financial penalties are necessary to deter employers from deliberately breaking H-1B rules and to protect American workers. She has previously sought investigations into suspected H-1B fraud in North Texas.
Bill still needs approval from Congress
Van Duyne’s legislation is not yet law. It has been introduced in the House and sent to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.Five other Texas Republicans, Brandon Gill, Pete Sessions, Keith Self, Brian Babin and Pat Fallon, are listed as cosponsors.For the proposed penalties to take effect, the legislation would have to pass both the House and Senate and then receive the president’s signature.
H-1B programme faces wider changes
The proposal follows a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten rules around the H-1B program.In 2025, the administration introduced a $100,000 payment for certain H-1B workers entering the US. A federal judge struck down the measure in June, and the administration has appealed the decision.The Department of Homeland Security has also proposed a $103,265 fee for certain cap-subject H-1B petitions in addition to existing filing costs.Other proposed changes concern how applicants are selected for H-1B visas. The administration has also sought to remove a provision that gives certain foreign workers up to 60 days to remain in the US after losing their jobs.
