- Anthony D’Esposito said the H-1B system could look very different in 365 days, but did not announce its abolition.
- The Department of Labor is investigating suspected H-1B and PERM fraud, including fake jobs, wage abuse, and worker exploitation.
- A separate restriction on certain H-1B workers is scheduled to continue until September 21, 2027.
Anthony D'Esposito, the Department of Labor inspector general, said the H-1B visa program would look different in a year, but did not announce plans to shut it down. His warning came amid a fraud investigation and threats of tougher enforcement.
In a video interview with commentator Benny Johnson posted on X, D'Esposito said, “I think that the foreign labor visa program is going to look very different 365 days from now than it does today.” The remark supplied the time horizon behind headlines describing a possible shutdown.
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He also said, “We are building a case,” and, “We have handcuffs ready.” Those comments point to investigations and potential prosecutions. They do not amount to a formal policy eliminating the program.
The inspector general described the administration’s focus as evidence of a broader shift. “I think that the efforts and the focus that you see from the White House and from this administration is telling a story,” he said. He added, “We are laying out the case very vividly to the American people.”
Investigators are pursuing suspected fraud, not announcing abolition
The investigation targets alleged misconduct involving H-1B and PERM, the employment-based labor certification process. Authorities are examining claims involving fake jobs, wage abuse and worker exploitation. The allegations also include sham employers, visa mills and wage kickbacks.
The inspector general’s office said it launched a nationwide investigation into suspected H-1B and PERM fraud in July 2026. D'Esposito’s office has issued “dozens” of subpoenas and executed search warrants in multiple locations, according to reporting on the probe.
The enforcement effort is aimed at suspected schemes, not a stated end to the visa category. The difference is central to the inspector general’s public remarks: he has warned of major changes while describing investigations, evidence gathering and possible arrests.
The “total shutdown” language is an interpretation of that warning. D'Esposito’s own formulation was that the foreign labor visa system would “look very different” after 365 days, not that it would cease to exist.
The watchdog’s September posts sharpened its fraud message
D'Esposito’s public statements unfolded through a series of posts. On September 15, 2026, he wrote that “the H-1B fraud machine is being exposed.” Two days later, the inspector general’s office posted “Count your days” alongside its fraud-crackdown messaging.
On September 19, D'Esposito wrote, “A secure border means locking every door, including the H-1B back door.” The office took a more direct law-enforcement tone on September 24: “H-1B fraud isn’t a paperwork problem. It’s a criminal one.”
The posts frame alleged abuse as a criminal investigation rather than an administrative paperwork dispute. The office has also promised accountability for people it accuses of gaming the system.
D'Esposito, a former U.S. representative from New York, has connected the scrutiny to a broader push against H-1B abuse. D'Esposito’s posts echoed Vice President JD Vance’s calls for a crackdown.
A separate restriction runs through September 2027
President Donald J. Trump’s administration has taken other actions affecting H-1B workers. On September 18, 2026, Trump extended restrictions applying to certain H-1B workers until September 21, 2027, a separate measure from the inspector general’s fraud investigation.
That restriction has a fixed end date. D'Esposito’s 365-day warning, by contrast, described how the foreign labor visa system could change as investigations proceed. The two developments sit within the same broader enforcement push but are not the same policy action.
Reports published September 27-28, 2026, amplified the “365 days from now” comment as a possible shutdown signal. The inspector general did not say the program would be abolished. He did say investigators were building a case and warned that the system would look different within a year.
The administration’s separate restriction on certain H-1B workers is set to continue until September 21, 2027.
