<p class="title">A Redmond-based information technology staffing company was asked to pay over $ 300,000 to its 12 H-1B employees for paying them far below their salary and has been imposed a penalty of over $ 45,000, a media report said on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US Department of Labour Wage and Hour Division (WHD) during the investigation found the company, which has offices in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/2016-indians-accounted-74-h-1b-visas-668965.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru and Hyderabad</a>, violated the labour provisions of the H-1B visa program by paying its guest workers far below the required wages, the report said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As a result, People Tech Group Inc has been asked to pay its 12 employees $ 309,914 and has been slapped with a penalty of $ 45,564, it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Investigators found that the company paid entry-level wages to H-1B computer analysts and computer programmers who performed the work of much more experienced employees and should have received higher prevailing rates, the Department of Labour said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Group also did not pay the employees for the time when it failed to provide them work, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/former-disney-employees-drop-lawsuit-against-it-over-h1b-visa-abuse-669429.html" target="_blank">as the law requires</a>, the department said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The intent of the H-1B foreign labour certification program is to help American companies find the highly skilled talent they need when they can prove that a shortage of US workers exists," said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Carrie Aguilar in Seattle.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The resolution of this case demonstrates our commitment to safeguard American jobs, level the playing field for law-abiding employers, and ensure no one is being paid less than they are legally owed, Aguilar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Wage and Hour Division has listed nearly 30 companies as willful violator employers under the H-1B program.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As per the list maintained since 2013, a majority of willful violators are <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/content/607855/us-accuses-tcs-infosys-violating.html" target="_blank">Indian Americans or companies owned by them</a>. At least 10 companies, which includes eight willful violators have been debarred or disqualified from hiring foreign guest workers on H-1B visas.</p>.<p><strong>What is H1B visa?</strong></p>.<p>In the US, Section 101(a)(15)(H) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows employers to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations. </p>.<p>"Specialty" refers to requiring theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialised knowledge in a field of human endeavor, including but not limited to biotechnology, chemistry, computing, architecture, engineering, statistics, physical sciences, journalism, medicine and health: doctor, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, etc., economics, education, research, law, accounting, business specialties, technical writing, theology, and the arts, and requiring the attainment of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent as a minimum (with the exception of fashion models, who must be "of distinguished merit and ability").</p>.<p>The foreign worker must possess at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and state licensure when required to practice in that field. An H1B work-authorisation is strictly limited to employment by the sponsoring employer.</p>.<p>The controversy is over companies taking advantage of the H1B visa programme to hire foreign workers for lower pay, displacing Americans from those jobs.<br /><br />ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/bill-H-1B-workers-job-flexibility-692598.html" target="_blank">Bill proposed to give H-1B workers job flexibility</a></p>
<p class="title">A Redmond-based information technology staffing company was asked to pay over $ 300,000 to its 12 H-1B employees for paying them far below their salary and has been imposed a penalty of over $ 45,000, a media report said on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US Department of Labour Wage and Hour Division (WHD) during the investigation found the company, which has offices in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/2016-indians-accounted-74-h-1b-visas-668965.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru and Hyderabad</a>, violated the labour provisions of the H-1B visa program by paying its guest workers far below the required wages, the report said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As a result, People Tech Group Inc has been asked to pay its 12 employees $ 309,914 and has been slapped with a penalty of $ 45,564, it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Investigators found that the company paid entry-level wages to H-1B computer analysts and computer programmers who performed the work of much more experienced employees and should have received higher prevailing rates, the Department of Labour said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Group also did not pay the employees for the time when it failed to provide them work, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/former-disney-employees-drop-lawsuit-against-it-over-h1b-visa-abuse-669429.html" target="_blank">as the law requires</a>, the department said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The intent of the H-1B foreign labour certification program is to help American companies find the highly skilled talent they need when they can prove that a shortage of US workers exists," said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Carrie Aguilar in Seattle.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The resolution of this case demonstrates our commitment to safeguard American jobs, level the playing field for law-abiding employers, and ensure no one is being paid less than they are legally owed, Aguilar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Wage and Hour Division has listed nearly 30 companies as willful violator employers under the H-1B program.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As per the list maintained since 2013, a majority of willful violators are <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/content/607855/us-accuses-tcs-infosys-violating.html" target="_blank">Indian Americans or companies owned by them</a>. At least 10 companies, which includes eight willful violators have been debarred or disqualified from hiring foreign guest workers on H-1B visas.</p>.<p><strong>What is H1B visa?</strong></p>.<p>In the US, Section 101(a)(15)(H) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows employers to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations. </p>.<p>"Specialty" refers to requiring theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialised knowledge in a field of human endeavor, including but not limited to biotechnology, chemistry, computing, architecture, engineering, statistics, physical sciences, journalism, medicine and health: doctor, dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, etc., economics, education, research, law, accounting, business specialties, technical writing, theology, and the arts, and requiring the attainment of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent as a minimum (with the exception of fashion models, who must be "of distinguished merit and ability").</p>.<p>The foreign worker must possess at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and state licensure when required to practice in that field. An H1B work-authorisation is strictly limited to employment by the sponsoring employer.</p>.<p>The controversy is over companies taking advantage of the H1B visa programme to hire foreign workers for lower pay, displacing Americans from those jobs.<br /><br />ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/bill-H-1B-workers-job-flexibility-692598.html" target="_blank">Bill proposed to give H-1B workers job flexibility</a></p>