A press conference on May 12 by a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official signalled that the US has opened yet another front in its battle against foreign students it accuses of having misused the country’s visa regime.
An investigation into the potential misuse of a programme that allows foreign students to work in the country temporarily to gain work experience after they graduate found that several fraudulent cases involved Indian students, said Todd Lyons, the acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We’re uncovering evidence of organised fraud that spans national and international borders,” he said. “This is not accidental. It is deliberate, coordinated and criminal.”
The agency has until now identified more than 10,000 cases of fraud and misconduct under the Optional Practical Training programme that allows foreigners on F-1 visas to work in the US for 12 to 24 months in fields related to their education after completing their courses, Lyons said.
The investigation is still underway.
