Judge Fines Apple, Cisco, eBay Contractors for H-1B Cheating
Federal judge says Scopus Consulting Group and Orian Engineers abused the H-1B worker-visa program by underpaying foreign workers, depressing regional wages and unfairly undercutting competitors
By Sharon Simonson
Chief Administrative Law Judge Stephen R. Henley ordered two businesses owned by Kishore Kumar to pay 21 workers $84,000 in back wages and $103,000 in fines to the federal government after investigators for the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour division found both companies failed to follow federal foreign-worker visa rules.
Both worker-placement companies provided workers to Cupertino-based Apple Inc., and San Jose-based Cisco Systems Inc. and eBay Inc., according to the government.
"Some of the country's most cutting-edge, successful organizations benefit from underp...