Department of Labor to increase enforcement of immigration (H-1B) rules

On June 7, 2017, the Secretary of Labor for the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will more aggressively enforce its rules and regulations to combat fraud and abuse in employment-based nonimmigrant visa programs. DOL will increase audits and investigations into employer compliance with foreign labor wage rules, and might also make changes to the H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) process to give itself an increased ability to identify employer violations and/or fraud. Employers should expect more frequent worksite audits (by both DOL and USCIS officials) as part of the federal government’s initiatives to engage in more enforcement and audit activities.