USCIS Expands Unannounced Site Visits for H-1B and F-1 Workers

First, the detected linkable resources in order of appearance:
1. Administrative Site Visit and Verification Program (ASVVP)
2. Targeted Site Visit and Verification Program (TSVVP)
3. Form I-129
4. Form I-983
5. DHS Study in the States – Form I-983

Now the article with only the specified .gov links added (maximum 5). No other changes were made.

(UNITED STATES) U.S. immigration officers can now arrive without warning to check on H-1B workers and F-1 students, with stepped-up authority that took full effect on January 17, 2025. The visits, run by the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS), aim to confirm that employers, schools, and visa holders are following the rules they promised in their filings.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this deeper enforcement push reflects a clear government priority: protect program integrity, stop fraud, and ensure jobs and training plans match what was submitted. These checks operate under long-running programs, including the Administrative Site Visit and Verification Program (ASVVP) and the Targeted Site Visit and Verification Program (TSVVP), and they can apply to a broad range of H-1B roles and student work placements—including remote or third‑party locations.

For H-1B employees—especially those placed at client sites or working from home—FDNS officers can visit any listed work address, ask to speak with the beneficiary and supervisors, and review records. For F-1 students, officers can focus on those with work authorization through Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT, including training plans and day-to-day duties. Noncooperation can trigger serious outcomes: denial or revocation of the petition, follow‑up investigations, and case delays that ripple into future filings. The message is clear: treat site visits as a normal part of life in the United States 🇺🇸 immigration system, not a rare event.

Policy Changes Overview

USCIS’s site visit authority is not new, but the Department of Homeland Security’s final rule effective January 17, 2025 gives it firmer, clearer power. The rule formally recognizes FDNS’s ability to conduct surprise inspections for H-1B and other nonimmigrant categories and signals stronger consequences when parties refuse to cooperate.

In practical terms, the government wants to verify the details in petitions are real and current—such as:

• H-1B: job titles, duties, pay, work locations, and supervision structures.
• F-1 (OPT/STEM OPT): school enrollment, employment authorization, and training plans.

ASVVP functions as a broad compliance check and often selects cases at random. TSVVP uses data to target higher-risk cases—examples include H-1B roles that move between sites or F-1 STEM OPT arrangements that look unusual or inconsistent.

Officers can:
– Show up unannounced
– Conduct short interviews
– Request records

After a visit, FDNS prepares a Compliance Review Report. If officers find red flags, the report can feed into a notice of intent to deny or revoke or trigger a formal inquiry requesting more evidence from the employer, school, or visa holder.

An adverse report can complicate later extensions, amendments, transfers, or changes of status. For H-1B, that may affect future Form I-129 petitions. For F-1 students, it can affect ongoing work authorization and future filings tied to training or employer changes. Put simply, one site visit can shape a case’s entire timeline.

What Site Visits Look Like in Practice

The process is straightforward but serious. An officer arrives without notice at a listed address. That address could be:

• A company’s headquarters
• A client site
• A satellite office or co‑working location
• A remote or home office (if that is the work site on record)
• At a school: the international student office or a department where the student works on campus

Officers introduce themselves, show identification, and explain the purpose of the visit. From there, they may:

1. Verify facts listed in the petition:
   • H-1B: job title, day‑to‑day duties, start date, supervisor name, location, salary
   • F-1 (OPT/STEM OPT): school enrollment, OPT/STEM OPT status, employer name, work schedule, training plan elements
2. Ask short, direct questions to the beneficiary and relevant staff:
   • H-1B: employee, direct manager, human resources
   • F-1 OPT/STEM OPT: student, on‑site supervisor, school’s designated official (if needed)
3. Review documents:
   • H-1B: payroll records, pay stubs, contracts or statements of work, office leases, organizational charts, proof of operations at the address
   • F-1 OPT/STEM OPT: pay stubs, job offer letters, training schedules, the training plan in Form I-983

Interviews are usually brief and focus on consistency. Identity verification is normal: employers and schools can ask to see the officer’s credentials and request a business card or a .gov email address for follow‑up. Institutions often contact counsel or the international office immediately and assign a point person to coordinate the visit.

Timing: visits usually occur during regular business hours and may cluster near filing milestones or after reported changes. While random checks continue, targeted visits are more common in industries with many H-1B workers or high STEM OPT participation—technology, finance, healthcare, and engineering, for example.

What happens if details don’t match?
– Officers can note mismatches, ask for follow‑up records, or refer the case for further review.
– Minor issues (e.g., a job title update properly amended) may not derail the case.
– Serious problems (e.g., work at an unlisted site or duties not matching the specialty occupation) can lead to petition action and risk for the beneficiary’s status.

Impact on Applicants and Institutions

For H-1B workers and employers, the stakes are high. The H-1B depends on the “specialty occupation” standard—jobs typically requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific field. Petitions hinge on accurate wage levels and worksites.

Common H-1B scenarios now under closer review:
– Offsite placements where control and supervision are unclear
– Remote arrangements not clearly identified as work locations
– Salary or hours that don’t match petition or payroll records
– Duties that appear junior or unrelated to the degree field

For F-1 students, risks center on OPT and STEM OPT rules. Students must work in a job directly related to their field of study and, for STEM OPT, follow a structured training plan with a named supervisor, regular evaluations, and proper reporting.

FDNS officers may look for:
– A Form I-983 training plan that reflects actual work
– Pay and hours matching what employer and student reported
– A supervisor who can explain training goals
– Work locations that match records (including home offices, if listed)

If an F-1 student cannot show real training aligned with the degree, or if the employer setup does not meet OPT/STEM OPT rules, the student’s work authorization and future immigration steps (including H-1B filings) may be affected. That is why universities are training students and employers on proper reporting and recordkeeping.

Risks of Noncooperation

The 2025 rule emphasizes that noncooperation can lead to denial or revocation and broader review of the employer, school, or individual case. Officers expect timely access to records and people named in the filings. If a key manager is absent, provide another informed person and offer prompt follow‑up.

Practical Compliance Steps

Employers and schools are adopting simple, repeatable steps to manage risk:

• Keep a central file for each H-1B worker containing:
  • Current job descriptions
  • Supervisory chains
  • Contracts or statements of work
  • Payroll records
  • Proof of physical operations at listed sites
• For F-1 STEM OPT workers:
  • Maintain a complete Form I-983 package with up-to-date evaluations and supervisor details
• Update addresses and job changes promptly; for H-1B, file amendments when required

• Assign a site visit lead in HR or the international office to:

  • Meet officers
  • Verify identity
  • Pull records quickly
• Train managers and students to answer simply and truthfully

Recommended day-to-day readiness items:
– Keep pay stubs, offer letters, and current job descriptions handy
– Ensure business cards and organizational charts reflect actual reporting lines
– For remote workers, confirm home or co‑working addresses on file and update if they change
– For STEM OPT, schedule and store required evaluations with the training plan
– Verify officer identity and document the visit—note attendees, questions asked, and records provided

Many employers create a short “site visit playbook” that includes:
– A contact tree for legal, HR, and international office staff
– A one‑page summary of the H-1B role or OPT/STEM OPT plan with key names and locations
– A checklist of records to pull on short notice
– A script for reception staff on how to greet officers and notify the right people
– A simple log to record visit details for internal files

These habits help reduce mistakes and give officers a clear picture during a visit.

Broader Implications

The increased focus on verification means legal and HR teams will spend more time and money on compliance. Smaller firms may need templates for job descriptions, training logs, and reporting. Larger companies will likely build dashboards tracking work locations and petition details across teams and vendors.

Universities are expanding training for designated school officials and improving systems to monitor employment updates. Communities with high numbers of H-1B professionals and F-1 students—such as Indian nationals who make up a large share of both groups—feel this change sharply. Surprise visits add stress, but clear planning reduces anxiety: when records are in order and people understand the process, most visits are brief and uneventful.

If a visit raises issues, timely and honest follow‑up matters. Employers and schools can:
– Submit clarifying records
– Correct minor errors
– File amendments where needed

Silence rarely helps; a fast, complete response often keeps the case on track.

Legal Basics and Helpful Links

The legal underpinnings are simple: if you file details with the government, expect the government to check those details. The growth of targeted visits suggests the government uses data to spot outliers—unusual wage levels, odd job shifts, frequent address changes, or gaps in reporting.

For official guidance:

• USCIS explains its visit programs and verification approach on its ASVVP page: USCIS Administrative Site Visit and Verification Program (ASVVP)

Two frequently relevant forms:

• Form I-129 — used by employers to file H-1B petitions, including extensions and amendments. Official page: USCIS Form I-129
• Form I-983 — training plan for F-1 STEM OPT, which sets learning goals, supervision, and evaluation schedules. Official page: DHS Study in the States – Form I-983

Having clean, current copies of these forms is not always required on the spot but makes the process smoother. If officers request records you don’t have immediately, offer a reasonable timeline for delivery and send them promptly.

Final Takeaways

• The 2025 rule sharpens FDNS authority to conduct surprise site visits for H-1B and F-1 (OPT/STEM OPT) cases.
• Cooperation is essential: refusal, delay, or obstruction can lead to denial or revocation and ripple effects for future filings.
• Practical preparation reduces risk: keep accurate records, assign site-visit leads, train staff and students, and maintain up-to-date filings and amendments.
• When filings and real-world operations align, site visits are usually routine. When they don’t, the consequences can be significant—for workers, employers, schools, and families.

Important: Treat site visits as a standard compliance step. Good planning, clear records, and quick, honest responses will minimize disruption and protect long-term immigration pathways.