USCIS Says Review Finds 100 H-1B Cases Connected To DEI Roles

WASHINGTON, DC -The U.S. immigration agency has identified about 100 H-1B visa cases linked to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) roles, according to an official response to a senator, as the administration intensifies scrutiny of the visa program.

In a letter dated April 21 to Republican Senator Eric Schmitt, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph B. Edlow, said the agency reviewed H-1B petitions filed between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 following concerns raised by the lawmaker.

“This initial analysis identified approximately 100 cases where the position title referenced ‘diversity’, ‘equity’, ‘inclusion’ or similar terms, and the role appeared to be DEI-related to some degree,” Edlow wrote. He added that “several unrelated financial roles, including terms such as ‘private equity’, were excluded.”

The review is part of a broader policy push under President Donald Trump targeting DEI programs. Edlow said the administration had acted through an Executive Order titled ‘Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing’.

He also cited a presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025. “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, under which certain H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2025, are subject to a $100,000 payment,” the letter said.

USCIS described the measure as “an important, initial, and incremental step to reform the H-1B visa program to curb abuses and protect American workers”.

Edlow said the agency is preparing further policy changes. “I have directed the USCIS Office of Policy and Strategy to develop a policy update to prevent abuse of the H-1B program via DEI initiatives,” he wrote. (IANS)