Home / Crime and Justice / Indian Men Admit H-1B Visa Fraud at UC
Indian Men Admit H-1B Visa Fraud at UC
20 Apr
Summary
- Two Indian men admitted filing fake H-1B petitions.
- They created non-existent job roles at UC for visas.
- The scheme aimed to gain unfair advantage over firms.
Two Indian nationals have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to H-1B visa fraud. Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada submitted fraudulent petitions for jobs that did not exist at the University of California. Their scheme, active between June 2020 and January 2023, involved using Mada's position at UC for credibility.
Rajidi operated visa servicing firms while Mada, as Chief Information Officer, lent legitimacy to the fake positions. The approved visas were then provided to other clients. Authorities noted this case reflects a broader pattern of visa misuse by staffing firms.
Such fraudulent practices distort visa allocations and create an uneven playing field for compliant companies. Both men face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Recent investigations have uncovered multiple visa fraud networks across various categories.
