New Delhi/Washington. A major controversy has surfaced over the United States Optional Practical Training visa system after federal agencies reportedly uncovered alleged large-scale fraud involving foreign students and suspicious employers. The probe by U.S. immigration authorities has flagged more than 10,000 students linked to companies suspected of creating fake employment records to exploit visa rules.
OPT System Comes Under Federal Scrutiny
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services reportedly found several cases in which companies appeared to exist only on paper, without any real business activity at their listed addresses.
Registration Begins for FutureCrime Summit 2026, India’s Largest Cybercrime Conference
According to officials, some firms claimed to employ hundreds of foreign students, but their offices were allegedly found empty, locked or inactive during checks. In several instances, multiple companies were registered at the same address, raising suspicion of a coordinated misuse of the system.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said investigators had identified more than 10,000 foreign students linked to employers classified as “highly suspect.” He said the OPT program, intended to provide practical training opportunities to international students after their studies, had increasingly become an “uncontrolled labor migration pipeline.”
Empty Offices, Shared Addresses Raise Red Flags
As part of the investigation, officials conducted site visits across several U.S. states, including Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida. Many of the listed locations reportedly turned out to be empty buildings, closed offices or addresses where hundreds of students were allegedly shown as employed on paper.
Reports also suggested that some residential properties were listed as corporate offices. In several cases, residents at those addresses reportedly denied any knowledge of the companies. Investigators also flagged irregularities in financial records, tax filings and employment documents linked to multiple firms.
Officials from Homeland Security Investigations alleged that several shell companies were created by the same individuals or groups, mainly to generate fake job records for foreign students. In some cases, companies claimed their human resources and management operations were based in India, while no staff was physically present at their U.S. addresses.
Probe May Trigger Calls for OPT Reforms
Investigators also found discrepancies in cases where companies reported only a small number of employees, while government data allegedly showed links to more than 500 foreign students. Authorities said the pattern indicated possible organized and coordinated fraud.
Officials believe the network may have international links and could extend across multiple jurisdictions. The investigation remains ongoing, with the financial activities of several companies now under detailed review.
Immigration experts believe the case could lead to major changes in the OPT program if the allegations are proven. The focus is likely to fall on employment verification, monitoring of sponsoring employers and stronger oversight of foreign student work authorization.
