DOJ Investigates H-1B Visa Discrimination Amid Stricter Visa Rules for International Students

August 30, 2025
DOJ Investigates H-1B Visa Discrimination Amid Stricter Visa Rules for International Students
  • This move to impose a four-year limit on visas for international students, especially targeting India as the leading source of students, may affect educational relations between the two countries.

  • The H-1B visa program is capped at 85,000 visas annually, allowing US companies to hire skilled foreign workers, but it faces criticism for enabling wage depression and job displacement.

  • The US Department of Justice, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, is actively investigating discrimination and unfair hiring practices related to the H-1B visa program, with the number of investigations continuing to grow.

  • Meanwhile, the Trump administration is proposing stricter visa rules for international students, including a four-year cap on stays, which could impact the large Indian student population in the US.

  • While the goal is to promote fair hiring, there is concern that broad crackdowns might unfairly penalize genuine workers who depend on these visas for their livelihoods.

  • The DOJ is encouraging the public to report discrimination against American jobseekers and foreign visa holders, aiming to promote fair hiring practices.

  • Critics, including prominent figures like Howard Lutnick and Ron DeSantis, argue that the H-1B program is being misused by outsourcing firms to suppress wages and displace American workers, calling for prioritization of domestic employment.

  • Indian professionals constitute over 70% of H-1B visa approvals due to high demand and processing backlogs, making India the largest source of international students in the US.

  • The Department of Homeland Security is proposing reforms to the H-1B system, including replacing the current lottery with a weighted selection process to improve fairness and transparency.

  • Harmeet Dhillon has publicly criticized the broken H-1B system, emphasizing that employer sponsorship can lead to unfair treatment of foreign workers, and has called for reform.

  • This enforcement effort marks a potential shift in policy focus towards protecting American workers, though some warn it could be politicized to impose stricter restrictions on visa programs.

  • Dhillon confirmed that the Civil Rights Division has numerous open investigations into discriminatory hiring practices and is encouraging the public to report leads against employers.

  • The crackdown on visa abuses is supported by American workers and genuine H-1B applicants who believe employer prejudice and favoritism are harming their job prospects.

Summary based on 5 sources


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