Infosys Hit With Biggest Fine Ever In US History Having To Cough Up $34 Million Over Visa Fraud

NEW YORK – Indian ITmajor Infosys has agreed to payup $32 million in a civil settlementafter the federal prosecutorsin Texas found the companyhad committed “systemic visafraud and abuse” in temporaryimmigration of the employeesfor jobs in U.S. businesses. Thesettlement is said to be biggestfine of its kind ever in the historyof the country, reports NYTimes.After an investigation lastingfor two years, the prosecutorsare to unveil on Wednesdaythe settlement as well as the accusationthat Infosys “knowinglyand unlawfully” broughtIndian workers into the UnitedStates on business visitor visassince 2008. Theyalso accused thecompany for usingB-1 visas insteadof harder-to-getH-1B work visas tobring an unknownnumber of stafffor long-term staysand that it unfairlygained a competitiveedge, undercuttingAmericanworkers qualifiedfor the jobs.The Federal investigatorsalso found extensive omissionsand errors in the hiring recordsof Infosys employees, whichcould have allowed thousands ofIndians to continue working inU.S. after their visas had expired.However Infosys has steadfastlydenied any accusations ofvisa abuse and fought the casevigorously. “Those claims areuntrue and only unproven assertions,”the company said Tuesdayin a statement. The companysaid its use of business visitor visas“was for legitimate businesspurposes and not in any wayintended to circumvent the requirements”of the employmentvisa H-1B.Infosys said that the resolutionof the case was not yetcompleted. “Infosys’ policy demandsadherence to all laws,rules and regulations everywherewe operate and we continue totake our compliance obligationsseriously,” the statement said.The investigation into theInfosys visa fraud was startedafter an American manager formerlyemployed by the IndianIT major spilled the beans aboutcompany’s visa irregularities