America’s labour watchdog has warned employers abusing the H-1B visa system that investigators are coming.

Anthony D’Esposito, the inspector general of the US Department of Labor, said his office had issued dozens of subpoenas and search warrants in an H-1B fraud investigation. He warned that the visa system could look ‘very different’ within a year.

Reports say the investigation has led to suspensions involving certain applications linked to Cognizant and Cloudera, though the cases remain pending and no final findings have been announced.

The crackdown follows the Trump administration’s broader push to tighten the skilled-worker visa programme, including tougher scrutiny of employers that lay off American workers.

Immigration lawyers say the rhetoric marks a sharp escalation. For the thousands of Indian professionals who form the bulk of H-1B holders, the message is that compliance will be policed aggressively in the months ahead.