US Employer’s Trap: Worker Forced to Pay H-1B Fees

Another messy tale from US immigration has emerged, this time involving an H-1B hopeful who got blindsided by their employer.

The person claims their company deducted H-1B legal fees straight from their bonus without warning. In a shocking move, the deduction was never clearly discussed and now the employer is claiming the employee had “agreed.”

While the H-1B aspirant had mentioned they might use their bonus to pay for a future green card, that process never even started. The employer twisting their words to extend it to an H-1B visa without even confirming it once is not only ignorant but also illegal.

Under US law, employers are obligated to bear the cost of filing the H-1B petition. That includes attorney fees and filing charges and even a written agreement from the employee doesn’t override this rule.

Despite a clear law, stories like this continue to emerge frequently. With the US witnessing an immigration crackdown, people are even scared to seek the help of authorities.

They are too afraid to push back, fearing retaliation or visa complications.

Ideally, they can file a complaint with the Department of Labor. Whether they will, or whether they feel safe doing so, is a different matter altogether.