H1Bs Flagged for No Reason: USCIS’ Scare Tactic?

H1B workers are likely the new target of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as an odd Request for Evidence (RFE) has triggered panic within the community.

H-1B workers are suddenly getting strange notices from USCIS, saying there’s ‘adverse information’ against them, but not saying what it is. Even worse, they are asking for biometric data and current home addresses which feels more like a surveillance than a visa check.

While some H1Bs thought it was related to their past arrests and court appearances, some odd experiences have shed more light on these requests. One person claims they’ve never even had a traffic ticket nor any records yet they got the same RFE, which their attorneys suspected is a new trend.

Another person had two employers file a Change of Employer (COE) petition for him. While one got approved in four days, the other got an RFE out of nowhere. In light of these cases, it is hard to determine any logic or pattern to the notices.

Some suspect AI tools are flagging people based on social media or past protests, similar to what has been happening to F-1 students for the past few weeks.

Attorneys are advising employers not to hand over personal data blindly as the authorities already have this info with them. They suggest asking USCIS to reveal what the “adverse info” actually is, which they are legally obliged to disclose before using it against you.

We’ve already seen international students getting deported for small infractions such as traffic violations. People suspect this is another scare tactic from the administration to cause panic and drive immigrants away from the US.