Woman Charged With H1B Visa Fraud In US

In all cases, the accused demanded and took illegal payments from victims in exchange for purportedly filing H-1B visa applications on their behalf, federal prosecutors alleged.

NEW YORK:  A woman in the US has been arrested on charges of H-1B visa fraud for luring foreigners seeking work in the US with nonexistent jobs and charging them unnecessary visa fee.

Raina Massey, the head of Newark-based Care Worldwide (CWW), is facing charges of wire fraud, visa fraud and identity theft after she allegedly conducted a multifaceted immigration scheme from February 2012 to March 2015, federal authorities said.

She was arrested yesterday.
According to federal prosecutors, from February 2012 through March 2015, Ms Massey and others executed the fraud scheme through her company, which purported to be a clinical research company, but was actually a shell company that did little to no legitimate work of any kind.

Ms Massey and others sought out and advertised for qualified foreign professionals, purportedly to work for CWW in clinical research positions as beneficiaries of H-1B visas.

These beneficiaries became victims of the scheme because the advertised positions did not actually exist.

For one set of victims, Ms Massey engaged in "benching", a form of fraud in which she and others falsely represented that the beneficiaries would have speciality technical jobs waiting for them upon their arrival at CWW.

After taking illegal payments from these beneficiaries, Ms Massey and others then completed applications for H-1B visas for these beneficiaries. However, when the beneficiaries arrived in the United States, Ms Massey and others employed them in menial tasks, such as handing out fliers on street corners.

For a second set of victims, Ms Massey and others, after illegally taking payments from the victims, never actually applied for H-1B visas. She and others provided these victims with false and fraudulent Form I-797Cs, which contained receipt numbers from other, previously filed, H-1B visa applications.

For a third set of victims, Ms Massey and others, after illegally taking payments from the victims based on fraudulent representations regarding H-1B visas, never provided any documentation whatsoever to the victims.

In all cases, Ms Massey and others demanded and took illegal payments from victims in exchange for purportedly filing H-1B visa applications on behalf of the victims, federal prosecutors alleged.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/woman-charged-with-h1b-visa-fraud-in-us-1287372

New US visa rules for international students

NEW YORK: The United States federal government changed rules for non-immigrant student visas on Friday, saying that international students will now be eligible to stay for three years after finishing their degrees for training potentially leading to employment.

Only students earning degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields from accredited higher education institutes and employed by employers participating in E-Verify are eligible for the optional practical training (OPT) program.

The new rule is seven months longer than the previous 17 month rule and comes into effect on May 10, 2016. The extension is also meant to widen the window of time to match fresh graduates with employers looking for skilled talented workers.

Previously, students had to apply for a visa known as H-1B, given by lottery and capped at 65,000 with 20,000 reserved for those with advanced degrees.

The extension was met with a mixed response even before it was published as immigration reform and unemployment remain hot topics in the US and wage protections are just one measure the ruling includes for both international STEM OPT students and permanent American workers.

According to the new rules, “a STEM OPT student would not replace a full- or part-time, temporary or permanent US worker,” and that the salary offered would “be commensurate” to American workers.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/news/1245226

New Citizenship Act allowing revocation of Canadian citizenship takes effect

The Federal government says it now has the power to revoke the citizenship of some Canadians convicted of terrorism, treason or espionage.

A controversial new law, first introduced last June, went into effect on Friday.

• New citizenship rules target fraud, foreign terrorism

The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration says there are several serious crimes that could result in dual citizens losing their Canadian status.

The ministry says it would revoke citizenship for anyone found guilty of terrorism, treason and high treason, and spying for a foreign government.

The rules would also apply to dual citizens who take up arms against Canada by fighting in a foreign army or joining an international terrorist organization.

The new law has met with strong public criticism, and two Ontario lawyers have already launched a court case arguing it is unconstitutional.

• Immigration bill facing challenge by human rights advocates

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander argued the new rules are meant to confront what he described as the "ever-evolving threat of jihadi terrorism."

Case of jailed Al Jazeera journalist highlights risks of new law

"Our government knows that there is no higher purpose for any government than to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and we have never been afraid to call jihadi terrorism exactly what it is," Alexander said Friday at an event in Toronto.

He said the changes to the Citizenship Act will ensure that "those who wish to do us harm will not be able to exploit their Canadian citizenship to endanger Canadians or our free and democratic way of life."

Critics have expressed concerns about the way in which the new law could be applied to certain high-profile cases.

When they were first announced, the official opposition New Democrats extracted a promise from the government that the new rules would not be used to target Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who was then a dual citizen.

Fahmy was convicted of supporting a terrorist group in a widely-denounced trial held in Egypt and was originally sentenced to seven years. The Al Jazeera television producer later gave up his Egyptian citizenship in an unsuccessful bid to be deported back to Canada and is currently undergoing a new trial on terrorism charges.

In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair argued that Fahmy's case highlighted the risks inherent in the new legislation.

In October, Toronto-based lawyers Paul Slansky and Rocco Galati launched a constitutional court challenge against the new law. Federal Court Judge Donald Rennie dismissed the case earlier this year.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/new-citizenship-act-allowing-revocation-of-canadian-citizenship-takes-effect-1.3093333

13 companies barred from applying for H-1B visa

Like past two years, this year too US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that processes H-1B applications, reached the cap for H-1B work visas for 2016 within the first five days.

The huge number of applications show the massive demand for these visas. But it's increasingly getting tougher to get a work visa each year. For, these visas are often blamed for rising unemployment in the US.

Past many years have also seen bills being introduced in the US that attempt to penalise -- in some way or the other -- the companies using these visas.

There has also been a rise in the rejection rate of H-1B visa applications filed by companies. Below is the list of companies that have been debarred/disqualified from applying for H-1B visa.

1. Advanced Professional Marketing Inc

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 Address: 229 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Employer willful violator: Yes

Debarment period: 8/1/2014 to 7/31/2015

2. Amreli Technology Solutions LLC

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 17530 NE Union Hill Rd. Redmond, WA 98052

Employer willful violator: Yes

Debarment period: 1/31/2014 to 1/30/2016

3. ASAP America, LLC d/b/a ASAP America

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 1501 US Highway 441

 

Employer willful violator: Yes

Debarment period: 7/31/2013 to 7/30/2015

4. digiBlitz Technologies Pvt Ltd

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 3976 University Drive Suite 350Fairfax, VA 20300

Employer willful violator: NO

Debarment period: 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2015

5. DTP, LLC d/b/a Digital Transaction Processing

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 16000 Christensen Road, Suite 130, Seattle, WA 98188

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 12/10/2013 to 12/9/2015

6. Gunderson Sweetwater

June 01,2015

 

 

Address: 8410 W. Thomas Road, Bldg. 4, Suite 138, Phoenix, AZ 85037

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2016

7. Jai Mataji, LLC

June 01,2015

Address: 1206 Piedmount Hwy., Cedartown, GA 30125

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 10/29/2013 to 10/28/2015

8. Life Nutritionales LLC

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 1501 US Highway 441, North, Suite 1706, The Villages, FL 32159

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 7/31/2013 to 7/30/2015

9. Marathon Health Care Corporation

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 443 Winthrop Street, Basement, Unit 4B Brooklyn, NY 11203

Employer willful violator: NO

Debarment period: 9/1/2014 to 6/31/2015

10. RMJM Group Inc

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 132 W. 31st Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2016

11. Rudell & Associates, Inc

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 11-11 40th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 10/29/2013 to 10/28/2015

12. Supreme Tech Solutions, LLC (Krios Technology Group LLC)

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 8306-B Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, VA 22182

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 12/31/2013 to 12/30/2015

13. Xcel Solutions Corp

June 01,2015

 

 

 

 

 

Address: 254 Route 34, Oakdale Plaza #3, Matawan, New Jersey 07747

Employer willful violator: YES

Debarment period: 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2016


Source: US Department of Labor website

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/slideshow/13-companies-barred-from-applying-for-h-1b-visa/itslideshowviewall/47497353.cms

Indian child denied SA visa

Cape Town - A group of tourists from India became the first reported casualties of the new unabridged birth certificate requirements, Western Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said on Monday.

“I received the correspondence from an India-based tour operator on Friday, who said that a group of 45 people are likely to cancel their trip because one of the children travelling in the party had not been granted a visa,” Winde said in a statement.

The Indian consulate had raised concern because in their country, the details of both parents were endorsed in a child’s passport, which Winde said rendered the passport as “an equivalent document” to an unabridged birth certificate.

“The tour operator stated that all its tour groups spend nine nights in the Western Cape. Research by the tourist industry indicated that the average spend per international tourist is around R5 000; hence the visa refusal may cost the Western Cape economy well over R200 000.

“There are more than 200 000 people employed in formal jobs in the tourism sector in the Western Cape, these jobs are now under serious threat”, Winde said.

He added that the Western Cape Government’s Red Tape Reduction Unit was continuing its research into the impact of the visa regulations.

“We are examining the tourist arrivals information over a three-year period. We will analyse the data in conjunction with incidents such as the implementation of the new visa regulations in May last year, Ebola and other significant events to determine how they have impacted international travel,” said Winde.

“The provincial government remains committed in its fight to ensure that the country’s immigration regime does not damage the economy and cause job losses through unnecessarily onerous requirements.”

These findings will be forwarded to the office of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba. Winde called on national government to provide clarity on the status of the visa regulations review.

Winde said: “On Friday, Minister Jeff Radebe reiterated President Jacob Zuma’s statement that a review of the regulations would be taking place, but to date no such process has been initiated. We need clarity on whether and when this review will be going ahead.” 

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/indian-child-denied-sa-visa-1.1866160#.VWzRx0ahooI