Infosys being dragged to court in US over alleged visa misuse

Software major Infosys Technologies Ltd is being dragged to court in the US over alleged misuse of B1 visa, which is meant for staff visiting the country for meetings, conferences and business negotiations.

The company today said it received a subpoena from the Grand Jury in the US district court in Texas asking it to provide sponsorship details of the B1 visas.

The lower court has asked the company to submit documents and records related to the company's sponsorship for, and uses of B1 business visas, Infosys said in a statement.

The court notice comes after local media reports that suggested a US employee of the company filing a complaint with the US court complaining that the employees on B1 visas visiting the country continue to work full time in the US.

The American employee of the company, who filed the complaint, had been working as a principal consultant since August 2008.

Infosys had also mentioned in its annual report about one of its employees filing a lawsuit in the US alleging improper utilisation of the B1 visa by the company among other things.

A US senator had also written to the US secretary of state and secretary of homeland security asking them to review the B1 business visa programme.

Infosys said it is cooperating with the investigations but declined to comment further on the jury investigation. "We take our legal compliance obligations very seriously," the company said.

If proved, the issues may lead to the US government imposing more restrictions on the B1 visa issue program.