WASHINGTON : Speaking at an event in Milwaukee, Vance said the Department of Labor had already initiated multiple probes and sought dozens of subpoenas against companies suspected of misusing the visa programme.

“American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters, and the Department of Labor is fighting back against it,” Vance said.

He accused big corporations and overseas fraudsters of exploiting the H-1B system to undercut wages and displace American workers.

“If you are trying to take advantage of that visa program, you are not allowed into the United States,” he added.

Vance also claimed that the Trump administration had saved “billions and billions of dollars” by preventing government funds from reaching fraudsters. Framing the crackdown as a key political issue ahead of the midterm elections, he accused Democrats of ignoring the problem.

A federal labour official has said that Indian IT major Cognizant is among the companies under scrutiny.

According to an official statement, the Office of the Inspector General under the Department of Labour has uncovered widespread schemes involving fraudulent applications, coercive wage-kickback arrangements, and the use of below-wage foreign labour to undercut American workers.

Labour Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito told Fox Business that whistleblowers had raised concerns involving major companies, including Cognizant, in connection with PERM and H-1B visa-related issues.

“We’ve already started to issue dozens of subpoenas; we are going to make sure that we track down every lead,” D’Esposito said.

The Department of Labour said such abuses weaken the integrity of programmes meant to address genuine labour shortages.

“These abuses undermine the integrity of Department of Labour programs designed to address genuine labour shortages, not to line the pockets of bad actors at the expense of American jobs,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy has responded to concerns from Indian students facing delays in visa processing.

A spokesperson said the US Government remains committed to processing visas in line with established regulations and guidelines, while ensuring that qualified applicants are approved for study in the United States without compromising national security.

“All student visa applications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis in strict accordance with established regulations and guidelines,” the spokesperson said.

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