The State Department is tackling fraud in the H-1B visa program, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott revealed during an interview on Breitbart News Daily.
Pigott said it is essential across the board to ensure there are counter-fraud measures for visa programs.
“So if there is counter fraud, if there are examples of people committing fraud, for example, we take that incredibly seriously. So not only are we communicating that worldwide as part of an unprecedented program that there will be accountability to try to stop people from engaging in this behavior; we’re taking action to make sure that we address that fraud,” he said, explaining that is not limited to H-1B visas.
“But if someone presents for reasons for a visa that they’re trying to get for legal means, and that turns out not to be accurate, we’re revamping those efforts with a number of different task forces at the State Department to make sure we’re addressing that process. That’s the first thing on that,” Pigott said before talking about other reforms.
“Some of that’s from the State Department, some of that’s from DHS. Of course, some of this is working through the regulatory and other processes, but we’re committed to making sure we abide by that principle that if there’s an opportunity in the United States, if there’s investment in the United States, that American workers are — have the ability to take advantage or benefit from that opportunity, that investment,” he said, describing that as a “common sense policy.”
He continued:
It’s also something that is common across the world. It’s just for some reason something the United States wasn’t doing, and we are doing it now. So a lot of that is moving through that process, whether that’s making sure we try to attach a certain price to that to show demonstration of need for that individual to come to the United States, whether that’s by limiting a certain number or having … a certain target number that allows Americans to benefit from investment opportunities, while also allowing specialized people that maybe we don’t have here in the United States to come in to facilitate foreign investment, or whether that’s by making sure we examine limitations of timing for how long those visas are actually applicable in the United States to make sure it’s not being … used for purposes that it wasn’t originally intended for.
He said this is not a “one-size-fits-all type effort.”
“It’s a cooperation between the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to make sure that there’s a series of policies in place that accomplish that goal I mentioned: Letting American workers take advantage of opportunities here, making sure that investment is benefiting the American worker, putting the American worker first, and as we continue to identify ways that maybe we’re not accomplishing that goal, or people are trying to get around the new regulation or the new policy, adjusting that as appropriate.”
“So we’re continually looking at this, and that’s why almost every week, or at least every month, you’re seeing new policies being announced to make sure that we have the best visa [policy],” he added.
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