COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — L&T Technology Services, LTD (“LTTS”), a company based in India, with U.S. offices in Edison New Jersey, has agreed to pay $9,928,000 to resolve allegations that between 2014 and 2019, LTTS underpaid visa fees owed to the United States by acquiring inexpensive B-1 visas, rather than more expensive H-1B visas, in alleged violation of the False Claims Act.
LTTS provides services and personnel to companies in the United States. Most of the personnel are foreign nationals, who are required to have visas in order to lawfully enter or remain in the United States.
B-1 visas generally do not permit visa holders to perform paid labor while in the United States. During the time period in question, fees for B-1 visas were between approximately $200 to $300, and there was no limit on the number of B-1 visas that could be issued.
Although H-1B visas permit foreign nationals to perform paid labor while in this country, the visa fees for such work visas were between approximately $4,000 to $6,000. Additionally, such visas are more difficult to obtain, because they are limited by an annual cap of 65,000, to foreign nationals with the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in an occupation requiring highly specialized knowledge; plus an additional 20,000 H-1B visas annually to those in such occupations with a master’s degree or its equivalent.
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