'One district in India got 220k H-1Bs': US economist alleges visa 'fraud'; flags 'stolen future'

Former US Representative and economist Dr Dave Brat has accused the H-1B visa system of widespread fraud, alleging that one Indian district obtained more than twice the total number of visas allowed nationwide. Brat’s comments have reignited scrutiny of the programme as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on H-1B visas.

Speaking on a podcast, Brat stated that the H-1B system had been “captured by industrial-scale fraud," claiming that visa allocations from India had exceeded statutory limits.

“71 per cent of H-1B visas come from India, and only 12 per cent from China. That tells you something’s going on right there," Brat said. “There’s a cap of only 85,000 H-1B visas, yet somehow one district in India — the Madras (Chennai) district — got 220,000. That’s 2.5 times the cap Congress has set. So that’s the scam."