Empty Offices, Locked Buildings: Massive OPT Visa Fraud Exposed in US
New Delhi, 13th May 2026: America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have uncovered an alleged large-scale fraud involving the Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa program. Thousands of foreign students and several suspected employers across the United States are under scrutiny as part of the investigation.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, speaking at a press conference, said investigators found empty offices, locked buildings, and fake workplaces being used by companies that claimed to employ hundreds of foreign students despite having no genuine business operations.
“The OPT program, originally designed to provide students with limited work experience, has now become an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline,” Lyons said. “In our investigation of the top 25 OPT employers, we identified more than 10,000 foreign students linked to highly suspicious employers.”
Fake Offices, Residential Addresses Used as Worksites
Investigators carried out raids in multiple states, including Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida. Officials said several listed workplaces turned out to be empty buildings, locked offices, or residential homes.
Authorities also found that multiple companies were registered at the same addresses, with some reportedly never paying rent for the properties they claimed to operate from.
HSI Executive Associate Director John Connick said an investigation into 18 worksites in North Texas uncovered a network of shell companies. In one case, a company that claimed to employ only three OPT students was allegedly linked to more than 500 students in official records.
According to investigators, some companies had their HR and management operations being run entirely from India, while others used post office boxes or vacant properties as official business addresses.
Officials further alleged that several of the firms were linked to tax evasion, litigation, and suspicious financial transactions. Lyons described the operation as “deliberate and systematically organised international fraud.”
What Is the OPT Program?
According to USCIS, the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows temporary employment authorization for F-1 international students in the United States. The work must be directly related to the student’s field of study.
Eligible students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT either before or after completing their degree program.
