Indian IT Industry

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 07 Feb 2009 01:02

Wasnt Simputer the base for the Saathi handhelds used by IA?

sum · Post by **sum** » 07 Feb 2009 10:49

Raja Bose wrote:Wasnt Simputer the base for the Saathi handhelds used by IA?

IIRC,yes.
But, did the project go far enough with the IA because i remember it going the Arjun way.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Feb 2009 15:47

reliable skyNet feeds claim Motorola has let go 500 engineers in Blr in the recent past. this when there have been periodic bouts in the good times also (for eg with their Force Computers acquisition in 2007). but the astonishing claim I heard was they were paying 3 months of salary for every completed year of service. So a old timer who was there 5 years could potentially get 15 months full pay and a chance to wait out the bad times....

also Freescale their semi offshoot is spiralling in another major round soon per grapevine.

for the senior people, its very hard to get comparable jobs or any jobs at all.

sum · Post by **sum** » 07 Feb 2009 18:51

Singha wrote:reliable skyNet feeds claim Motorola has let go 500 engineers in Blr in the recent past. this when there have been periodic bouts in the good times also (for eg with their Force Computers acquisition in 2007). but the astonishing claim I heard was they were paying 3 months of salary for every completed year of service. So a old timer who was there 5 years could potentially get 15 months full pay and a chance to wait out the bad times....

also Freescale their semi offshoot is spiralling in another major round soon per grapevine.

for the senior people, its very hard to get comparable jobs or any jobs at all.

Yes, for Moto, its 3 months for every year served+ full salary on every leave encashed!!!!! A acquaintance of mine got ~3 years salary for his 8 year service!!!

Freescale has started major cutting in India with ~100 HW enggs let go last week and most of the 300 odd SW guys in B'luru will be let go soon since no buyer was found for the Wireless group.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Feb 2009 23:19

Does Qualcomm have B'luru office? How is it doing and whats its history?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Feb 2009 08:30

they have a R&D office in whitefield SEZ a bit off the road opp SAP.

never heard anything about them here, which is probably a good thing. but
then I am not in hw engg , so news of that domain passes me by.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 08 Feb 2009 12:27

sum wrote:
Singha wrote:reliable skyNet feeds claim Motorola has let go 500 engineers in Blr in the recent past. this when there have been periodic bouts in the good times also (for eg with their Force Computers acquisition in 2007). but the astonishing claim I heard was they were paying 3 months of salary for every completed year of service. So a old timer who was there 5 years could potentially get 15 months full pay and a chance to wait out the bad times....

also Freescale their semi offshoot is spiralling in another major round soon per grapevine.

for the senior people, its very hard to get comparable jobs or any jobs at all.
Yes, for Moto, its 3 months for every year served+ full salary on every leave encashed!!!!! A acquaintance of mine got ~3 years salary for his 8 year service!!!

Freescale has started major cutting in India with ~100 HW enggs let go last week and most of the 300 odd SW guys in B'luru will be let go soon since no buyer was found for the Wireless group.

Is this being done in MIL (Moto India Ltd.) onlee or same is being done for starving abduls in massa??

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 08 Feb 2009 13:12

I will be more than happy to take ~3 years salary as severance package and then go onto "Bharat Bhraman". While in Job, ordinary Abduls like me has no hope of ever taking a sabbatical and doing stuff that I really want to do. Sometimes bad things like getting laid off is not really bad in the bigger perspective (If you get 3 years salary along with the pink slip)

Nayak · Post by **Nayak** » 08 Feb 2009 13:17

VikasRaina wrote:I will be more than happy to take ~3 years salary as severance package and then go onto "Bharat Bhraman". While in Job, ordinary Abduls like me has no hope of ever taking a sabbatical and doing stuff that I really want to do. Sometimes bad things like getting laid off is not really bad in the bigger perspective (If you get 3 years salary along with the pink slip)

I do not wish to gloat but I can't help it either.........

sum · Post by **sum** » 08 Feb 2009 13:55

Raja Bose wrote: Yes, for Moto, its 3 months for every year served+ full salary on every leave encashed!!!!! A acquaintance of mine got ~3 years salary for his 8 year service!!!

Freescale has started major cutting in India with ~100 HW enggs let go last week and most of the 300 odd SW guys in B'luru will be let go soon since no buyer was found for the Wireless group.

Is this being done in MIL (Moto India Ltd.) onlee or same is being done for starving abduls in massa??[/quote]
AFAIK, it is a Moto policy worldwide.

Will confirm from relevant "moles" and get back .

sum · Post by **sum** » 08 Feb 2009 13:57

ramana wrote:Does Qualcomm have B'luru office? How is it doing and whats its history?

Qualcomm Bluru seems to be doing quiet well for itself. Though Hyd was the HQ in India, more and more good work seems to be getting done in Bluru also(atleast HW part).

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 09 Feb 2009 17:26

Serious question for gurus and garus in ITvity...

Is Hyd done for as an Itvity investment destination? Just wondering onlee.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Feb 2009 18:02

ofcourse not. while it is true that certain localities there are the hub of forgery in IT industry, the "clients" for that service come from all over and use it all over.

MSFT has? a 2 yr pgm wherein you can come and work 2 yrs in india with
a "guarantee" you will get your job back in US if you decide to r2u.

the IT industry goes wherever it can grab people and free land. if Hyd can
provide both, no reason for it to go under.

Nirantar · Post by **Nirantar** » 12 Feb 2009 17:19

Just heard that Now Sapient Gurgaon

has laid off considerable number of staff. There was big hoopla over this and police had to be called in. The management had to face a stiff resistance from the protesting staff.

The details are still pouring in....

sum · Post by **sum** » 12 Feb 2009 18:56

TI France has gone on complete strike with 90% of the employees striking demanding better severance packages comparable to those in ST and IBM!!!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 09:01

CEO was here yesterday and gave some all-hands talks. only 200 were allowed to
attend in person due to space constraint. claims that world eco is expected to turn around in end 2009.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 13 Feb 2009 09:59

^^^Hope his words come true though at this point hope is pointless.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 10:05

they are issueing more bonds to raise cash chest. hopefully some or all of salesforce.com, citrix, vmware, arista tribal levies/lashkars can join the kabila this year inshallah.

that would take wind outa pirate Vina's sails

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 13 Feb 2009 11:25

Why? vina ji is heavily invested into Yech Pee???

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 14:10

BW

Visa Fraud Sparks Arrests Nationwide
An ongoing federal probe into H-1B visa fraud leads to 11 arrests and the indictment of IT services firm Vision Systems Group

By Moira Herbst

The controversy over the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers is heating up once again. Federal agents detained 11 people in six states as part of a wide investigation into suspected visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office in Iowa announced on Feb. 12, a day after the arrests. Those arrested are accused of fraudulently representing themselves or other workers in immigration documents.

Besides the arrests, Vision Systems Group, an IT services firm based in South Plainfield, N.J., with a branch office in Coon Rapids, Iowa, was indicted on 10 federal counts, including conspiracy and mail fraud charges. The firm allegedly used fraudulent documents to bring H-1B visa workers into the U.S. The government is seeking the forfeiture of $7.4 million from Vision Systems that was gained through the alleged offenses. Five other technology companies, including Worldwide Software Services and Sana Systems in Clinton, Iowa, remain under investigation for document fraud, prosecutors said. "We are only at the tip of iceberg as to where this [investigation] leads," said Matthew G. Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. "We have a ways to go and more [fraud] to uncover."

Representatives of Vision Systems, Worldwide Software, and Sana Systems could not be reached for comment after business hours on Feb. 12. Whitaker declined to identify the other three companies being investigated.

H-1B Program Under Scrutiny

The coordinated, nationwide enforcement effort began 18 months ago and continues, officials said. It is the first to specifically address fraud in the H-1B visa system, which critics say brings lower-cost tech workers into the U.S., displacing American workers.

As unemployment rises in the U.S., the H-1B program is drawing scrutiny for its potential effects on U.S. jobs. In October the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) released a report showing rampant fraud in the H-1B visa program. At the same time, critics say that outsourcing firms, including Infosys Technologies (INFY) and Wipro (WIT), use H-1B visas to replace U.S. employees with cheaper workers from abroad, often cycling overseas staff through U.S. training programs before sending them back home to perform such jobs.

Large U.S. tech companies such as Oracle (ORCL) and Microsoft (MSFT), which want to raise the annual limits on H-1B visas, are seeking to differentiate themselves from firms that commit fraud. Bill Kamela, director of policy counsel for Microsoft, told BusinessWeek in January that the company has been working with USCIS to ensure the program is free of fraud and abuse.

Allegations of Displacing U.S. Workers

The fraud identified in the Feb. 12 announcement echoes patterns outlined in the October USCIS report. Specifically, Vision Systems Group is accused of filing petition requests with the government showing the H-1B visa workers would be employed in Iowa to take advantage of lower requirements for wage rates. But the workers were allegedly placed in locations on the East and West coasts. Whitaker says that by doing so, the company "dislocated and displaced United States workers that could have done those jobs."

In other cases uncovered in the investigation, foreign workers have allegedly been placed in jobs and locations not previously certified by the Labor Dept., displacing qualified American workers and violating prevailing wage laws. The companies and foreign workers allegedly submitted false statements and documents to state and federal agencies supporting their visa petitions.

The operation was conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Iowa, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and New Jersey.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 13 Feb 2009 17:47

Something strange happened: HP ProCurve was the division that had launched a massive attack on Cisco... and all this was handled by the ProCurve exec John McHugh. He essentially built up ProCurve from scratch starting from a nobody to a number #2 in the space...

The guy has left HP now and has joined........... Nortel!!!! That too, after Chapter 11 proceedings.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 18:03

can happen if a potential buyer has sent him feelers and promised to make him CEO after nortel is broken up or emerges from bankruptcy.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 13 Feb 2009 19:56

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/opini ... ntemail0=y

While I think President Obama has been doing his best to keep the worst protectionist impulses in Congress out of his stimulus plan, the U.S. Senate unfortunately voted on Feb. 6 to restrict banks and other financial institutions that receive taxpayer bailout money from hiring high-skilled immigrants on temporary work permits known as H-1B visas.

Bad signal. In an age when attracting the first-round intellectual draft choices from around the world is the most important competitive advantage a knowledge economy can have, why would we add barriers against such brainpower — anywhere? That’s called “Old Europe.” That’s spelled: S-T-U-P-I-D.

“If you do this, it will be one of the best things for India and one of the worst for Americans, [because] Indians will be forced to innovate at home,” said Subhash B. Dhar, a member of the executive council that runs Infosys, the well-known Indian technology company that sends Indian workers to the U.S. to support a wide range of firms. “We protected our jobs for many years and look where it got us. Do you know that for an Indian company, it is still easier to do business with a company in the U.S. than it is to do business today with another Indian state?”

Each Indian state tries to protect its little economy with its own rules. America should not be trying to copy that. “Your attitude,” said Dhar, should be “ ‘whoever can make us competitive and dominant, let’s bring them in.’ ”

If there is one thing we know for absolute certain, it’s this: Protectionism did not cause the Great Depression, but it sure helped to make it “Great.” From 1929 to 1934, world trade plunged by more than 60 percent — and we were all worse off.

We live in a technological age where every study shows that the more knowledge you have as a worker and the more knowledge workers you have as an economy, the faster your incomes will rise. Therefore, the centerpiece of our stimulus, the core driving principle, should be to stimulate everything that makes us smarter and attracts more smart people to our shores. That is the best way to create good jobs.

According to research by Vivek Wadhwa, a senior research associate at the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, more than half of Silicon Valley start-ups were founded by immigrants over the last decade. These immigrant-founded tech companies employed 450,000 workers and had sales of $52 billion in 2005, said Wadhwa in an essay published this week on BusinessWeek.com.

He also cited a recent study by William R. Kerr of Harvard Business School and William F. Lincoln of the University of Michigan that “found that in periods when H-1B visa numbers went down, so did patent applications filed by immigrants [in the U.S.]. And when H-1B visa numbers went up, patent applications followed suit.”

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 13 Feb 2009 20:37

Singha

More on that: http://www.internetnews.com/hardware/ar ... atform.htm

Curious.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 21:04

this ban on TARP banks hiring H1 probably hits indians who do Mba from colleges there and join the financial sector. they seldom if ever directly hire anyone on IT backend side without green card/citizenship, preferring instead of hire contractors from third parties afaik(?)

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Feb 2009 21:10

Tanaji, this opening the gate for 3rd party apps idea has been in circulation for some time. juniper was doing it 2 yrs ago for sure. csco has multiple platforms eg a WAAS appliance that hosts a microsoft windows server on a virtual machine for certain stuff like print services.

Nortel is way late to that party - all of csco, jnpr, citrix, hp, ibm, sunw et al have better exp in doing that kinda thing.

citrix is pretty strong in desktop virtualization, wherein they have boxes both at customer side and in datacenter to take control and deliver the virtual desktop using their own proprietary protocols to lock others out. there is a co WYSE that sells a lot of thin clients.

inshallah some of these rebels will soon be within the tent

vishnua · Post by **vishnua** » 15 Feb 2009 00:01

Singha wrote:claims that world eco is expected to turn around in end 2009.

had Dept meeting. Our is only company probably that is still hiring left and right. The expectation is that turn around will not come till end of the 1 st quarter of 2010. Clear disclaimer was that this is the current prediction.

MOI predication. End of 3 qauarter of 2010 even to strat things looking better.

If you have cash, buy stocks and the ask them issue the ceritificates and lock them in a box and don't open them till 2014. Think like you invested in one of those old school post office 5 year CDs which will double the money. But this case it will be more than double.

sarulan · Post by **sarulan** » 15 Feb 2009 00:38

If you have cash, buy stocks and the ask them issue the ceritificates and lock them in a box and don't open them till 2014.

Its a bad idea to buy stocks now. IMHO stock market will tank further. All these are suckers rally. If you have cash. Put it in a storage box and dig a pit under your floor and hide it there. That is the only way to survive.

Cash is king in recession. Worst has not yet come.

CalvinH · Post by **CalvinH** » 15 Feb 2009 02:00

Sapient has fired 500 staff in India. Any more news on this from anyone here about type and experience of people laid off...

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 15 Feb 2009 02:08

sarulan wrote:
If you have cash, buy stocks and the ask them issue the ceritificates and lock them in a box and don't open them till 2014.
Its a bad idea to buy stocks now. IMHO stock market will tank further. All these are suckers rally. If you have cash. Put it in a storage box and dig a pit under your floor and hide it there. That is the only way to survive.

Cash is king in recession. Worst has not yet come.

Errr.... I am beginning to think even the printed money is worthless. The emperors are naked and its increasingly obvious now. Londonistan has already said it will print its way out of a recession.

Buy the big G - GOLD... better still buy the exotic stuff: platinum, radium etc. But not diamonds... Put it in a storage box and dig a pit under your floor and hide it there. That is the only way to survive.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 16 Feb 2009 01:34

CalvinH wrote:Sapient has fired 500 staff in India. Any more news on this from anyone here about type and experience of people laid off...

500 is incorrect. varied experience.

CalvinH you are lucky the mods have never objected to the Calvin & Hobbes ripoff of yours.

Nayak · Post by **Nayak** » 16 Feb 2009 07:58

Local cable news report 300 headcount laid off from Bangalore, Nodia and Gurgaon Sapient offices.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 16 Feb 2009 09:41

Nayak wrote:Local cable news report 300 headcount laid off from Bangalore, Nodia and Gurgaon Sapient offices.

Layoffs & salary cuts (not in Sapient) are happening across the industry.
BTW, i work in the above mentioned company

Raju · Post by **Raju** » 16 Feb 2009 11:52

Tanaji wrote:
sarulan wrote:
Its a bad idea to buy stocks now. IMHO stock market will tank further. All these are suckers rally. If you have cash. Put it in a storage box and dig a pit under your floor and hide it there. That is the only way to survive.

Cash is king in recession. Worst has not yet come.
Errr.... I am beginning to think even the printed money is worthless. The emperors are naked and its increasingly obvious now. Londonistan has already said it will print its way out of a recession.

Buy the big G - GOLD... better still buy the exotic stuff: platinum, radium etc. But not diamonds... Put it in a storage box and dig a pit under your floor and hide it there. That is the only way to survive.

better idea is to grow vegetables, fruits or something which can be sold/bartered.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Feb 2009 12:39

chicken, ducks, goat and sheep rearing is an option. people need to eat surely.

I am thinking of a mid-career shift into student politics. sounds like a recession proof
line of business(LOB). there is always someone to shakedown and rabble to lead.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 16 Feb 2009 23:42

Multi-state Visa Fraud Operation Nabs 11 in Operation Pacific Vision
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index ... 5&Itemid=2

Multi-state Visa Fraud Operation Nabs 11 in Operation Pacific Vision
Written by Imperial Valley News
Friday, 13 February 2009
Des Moines, Iowa - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 11 individuals in seven states Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspected visa and mail fraud. Matthew G. Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, announced the operation, which was carried out by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Iowa, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey.

Vision Systems Group Inc., a New Jersey Domestic Profit Corporation with a branch office in Coon Rapids, Iowa, was also indicted in a 10-count federal indictment that included one count of conspiracy, eight counts of mail fraud, and one count of 'Notice of Forfeiture' in the amount of $7.4 million.

"Today's multi-state enforcement action is the result of an extensive, ongoing investigation into suspected H-1B visa fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy," said U.S. Attorney Whitaker. "Dubbed "Operation Pacific Vision," this investigation is the result of outstanding cooperation and collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels of government."

The investigation is being conducted by ICE in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Fraud Detection and National Security Division (FDNS); U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); U.S. Department of State; Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General, and is supported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

"This case highlights the Department of Homeland Security's commitment to identifying and dismantling visa fraud schemes," said Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary for ICE John P. Torres. "Ensuring the integrity of our nation's legal immigration system is a top priority for ICE."

"This is a prime example of how the Department of Homeland Security identifies fraud," said Michael Aytes, USCIS's acting deputy director. "Our adjudication officers can spot inconsistencies during the application process that ultimately led to the successful outcome we're seeing today. Visa fraud undermines the integrity of the immigration system and I'm proud that our officers have helped to ensure that the American people and our customers can continue to depend on a reliable system."

Federal authorities, with assistance from state and local law enforcement, served search warrants at addresses in Urbandale and Clive, Iowa; in Santa Clara, Rancho Cucamonga and Arcadia, Calif.; and in South Plainfield, N.J.

This investigation involves companies that sponsor primarily H-1B non-immigrants, or temporary workers in specialty occupations that require a particular expertise. The companies that are the subject of this investigation have asserted that the foreign workers have been brought to the U.S. to fill existing vacancies. However, the companies allegedly have not always had jobs available for these workers, thereby placing them in non-pay status after they arrive in the United States. In some cases, the foreign workers have allegedly been placed in jobs and locations not previously certified by the Department of Labor, displacing qualified American workers and violating prevailing wage laws.

The companies and foreign workers have allegedly submitted false statements and documents in support of their visa petitions. The false statements and documents were mailed or wired to state and federal agencies in support of the visa applications. The companies are suspected of visa fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy.

"The foreign labor certification programs are designed to permit U.S. employers to hire foreign workers to fill jobs essential to American businesses," said Daniel R. Petrole, deputy inspector general, U.S. Department of Labor. "Our agency remains resolute in its commitment with its law enforcement partners to investigate fraud committed against these Department of Labor programs."

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers. As part of the H-1B program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) require U.S. employers to meet specific labor conditions to ensure that American workers are not adversely impacted, while the DOL's Wage and Hour Division safeguards the treatment and compensation of H-1B workers. Congress sets a numerical cap for the admission of skilled workers into the U.S. The current H-1B cap is set at 65,000 visas per fiscal year. H-1B aliens can work in the United States for three years, with an option for an additional three years (for a maximum of six years).

Those arrested Wednesday by ICE agents include:

1. Shiva Neeli, arrested in Boston, Mass.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
2. Ramakrishna Maguluri, arrested in Atlanta, Ga.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
3. Villiappan Subbaiah, arrested in Dallas, Texas; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
4. Suresh Pola, arrested in Pennsylvania; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
5. Vishnu Reddy, arrested in Los Angeles, Calif.; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud.
6. Chockalingam Palaniappan, arrested in San Jose, Calif.; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud.
7. Vijay Myneni, arrested in San Jose, Calif.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
8. Venkata Guduru, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
9. Praveen Andapally, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in an immigration matter.
10. Amit Justa, arrested in New Jersey; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
11. Karambir Yadav, arrested in Louisville, Ky.; charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.

The maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum sentence for making a false statement in an immigration matter is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Department of Homeland Security has a multifaceted approach to detecting and investigating immigration and benefit fraud. ICE's Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces were created in March 2006 to target and dismantle criminal organizations that threaten national security and public safety and close vulnerabilities in the immigration process. USCIS created the Fraud Detection and National Security Division (FDNS) to enhance the integrity of the immigration systems and to identify persons who pose a threat to national security or public safety. Cooperation between FDNS and ICE has helped to increase the incidence of enforcement actions. More information on these initiatives is available at www.ice.gov and www.uscis.gov.

The following agencies investigated or assisted in this case: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Fraud Detection and National Security Division; U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of State's Kentucky Consular Center (a field office of the Bureau of Consular Affairs); U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General; Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations; Des Moines Police Department; West Des Moines Police Department; Iowa Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Enforcement Office.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation; a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Because this investigation is in its early stages, it would be inappropriate to provide further details on the case at this time. As this is an open federal investigation, until further notice, the media is asked to direct any inquires on Operation Pacific Vision to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa's Public Information Officer, Mike Bladel at (515) 473-9342. No other agency is authorized to respond to questions on this matter.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 16 Feb 2009 23:52

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource. ... ost_217317

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/n ... de15m.html

Report finds fraud in 20% of H-1B applications

Federal investigators discovered fraud in more than 20 percent of applications they examined in which employers were requesting H-1B visas...

By Lornet Turnbull

Seattle Times staff reporter

Federal investigators discovered fraud in more than 20 percent of applications they examined in which employers were requesting H-1B visas to hire foreign professionals in the U.S., a finding they called a "significant vulnerability."

In a report released late last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service cited one especially egregious case in which an employer petitioned for a business-development analyst position but later told investigators the worker would be doing laundry and maintaining washing machines.

The report's findings appear to vindicate some critics of the H-1B program, who have said the hiring of foreign professionals hurts U.S. workers.

The immigration service promised procedural changes in the wake of the findings, but warned that the findings were not an indictment of the program overall.

"The H-1B program is immensely valuable, and most employers and workers who use it, use it properly," spokeswoman Sharon Rummery said.

Investigators picked a random sample of 246 H-1B applications out of the 96,827 filed by employers between Oct. 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006. Holders of such visas must have at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent, and employers are required to pay them the prevailing wage.

But investigators found instances in which workers forged their employment and education credentials to obtain visas. No actual U.S. employer even existed in some cases.

Some employers failed to pay the prevailing wage or "benched" the H-1B workers — an illegal practice of not paying them or paying a fraction of what they are required to during times when there's no work.

Investigators found higher incidences of fraud among smaller, less established employers. And violations were more common among workers with a bachelor's degree, those who were outside the U.S. when they were hired, and those in such occupations as accounting, human resources, sales and advertising.

And just last week, federal agents arrested 11 people and indicted a New Jersey employer on suspected H-1B visa-fraud charges, including money laundering and using false documents to obtain jobs.

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Feb 2009 23:54

who are the arrested people? employees who faked details or members of the h1 contract co?

the no pay on bench/small pay on bench was still prevalent last I checked in 2007
but it was done verbally in a clever fashion, not in writing.

CalvinH · Post by **CalvinH** » 17 Feb 2009 02:21

Mostly management

Vishnu Reddy, who was arrested in Los Angeles on conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud charges and named in a separate indictment, was identified as the president of Pacific West Corporation, of Santa Clara, Calif. Another indictment named Praveen Andapally, who was arrested in New Jersey on conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and for false statement in immigration matter. He identified as president of Venturisoft Inc., of South Plainfield, N.J.

clicky

CalvinH · Post by **CalvinH** » 17 Feb 2009 02:29

Interesting tidbit: The sample population for investigation was from Oct 2005 to sometimes in Mar 2006. Also this time USCIS did a joint investigation with Social Security Department.

Also interesting is that L1 visa extension denial rates have shot up recently. They start tightening the screws on L1 visa from late 2007 due to a senate inquiry. TCS recently said that they will send 20% of workforce offshore due to 'prevailing economic situation'. TCS has 5000 People on L1 visas. Looks like they are related.

Anyways time for me to purchase some land and go back to fumble harming. Even if I dont have much to sell I can grow enough to eat.