Anti-Indian hate online is taking a sharper and more organized turn, with netizens now openly discussing ways to push for the deportation of Indian immigrants in the United States. A growing number of posts on X have gone viral in recent days, targeting the H-1B visa program and, by extension, Indian Americans, who are the largest beneficiaries of it.
What began as criticism of the visa system has increasingly slipped into hostile rhetoric, with calls to end the H-1B program altogether and narratives portraying Indian professionals as abusers of U.S. immigration laws. The tone of several posts goes beyond policy debate, veering into discrimination and collective blame.
One such post on X lays out an individual immigration case while framing it as a cautionary example. The post states:
“This H-1B visa holder tried the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) route because their employer did not want to go through the PERM process.
Their I-140 got rejected, and their H-1B visa expires in one year. As per the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21), they have no legal path to remain in the United States 365 days from now.
This is why applying for PERM jobs on”
READ: Nalin Haley slams India, says ‘remittance money’ drives push on H-1B visas (
While the post appears to reference existing immigration rules, Indian American advocates note that such cases are being selectively amplified to suggest that large numbers of Indian professionals are gaming the system or overstaying unlawfully. Immigration lawyers have long pointed out that U.S. visa pathways are complex, often slow, and subject to discretionary denials, even when applicants follow the rules.
Another widely shared post goes further, flagging alleged H-1B misuse through a graphic on X that claims to explain “How Indian Nationals Scam the H-1B Visa: Step by Step Breakdown.” The visual lays out what it describes as systematic fraud, presenting it as a common and deliberate practice rather than isolated violations of the program.
Branded as an exposé and shared by accounts critical of employment-based immigration, the image promotes a narrative of systemic fraud that goes far beyond individual violations.
The graphic begins by outlining how the H-1B program is legally meant to function, acknowledging requirements such as real specialty jobs, prevailing wage payments, and documented work locations. It then pivots sharply, arguing that fraud enters the system even before approvals are granted, through inflated job descriptions, weak verification, and paper-based compliance.
From there, the claims escalate. The image alleges the creation of fake job roles that disappear after visas are approved, manipulation of the H-1B lottery through multiple filings by related companies, and the use of shell entities to increase selection odds. It also accuses employers of submitting fabricated client letters, keeping workers unpaid on the bench, and pressuring them into silence by leveraging their immigration status.
Other sections claim resumé fabrication, pay-to-play sponsorship arrangements in which workers allegedly fund their own visas, and body-shopping practices that treat skilled professionals as inventory rather than employees. The graphic argues that these practices harm U.S. workers, honest employers, and lawful H-1B holders alike by driving wage suppression, increasing scrutiny, and undermining the program’s credibility.
The framing of the image is sweeping and accusatory, presenting alleged abuse as organized, deliberate, and widespread. While it does not explicitly name any nationality within the graphic itself, its circulation online has often been accompanied by captions and commentary targeting Indian Americans, who make up the largest share of H-1B recipients.
READ: Companies under fire over hiring Indians amid H1-B backlash (
Here is what the graphic lists:
- Section 1: Legal baseline
This section explains how the H-1B program is supposed to function legally:
• An employer identifies a real specialty occupation
• Files a Labor Condition Application
• Pays the required prevailing wage
• Files an H-1B petition
• The worker performs the stated job at the stated location
It labels this as the lawful process. - Section 2: Entry point of fraud
The graphic claims fraud begins before approval through:
• Fake or inflated job roles
• Paper-only compliance
• Weak upfront verification - Section 3: Fake job roles
It alleges:
• Jobs are written only to qualify as specialty occupations
• No real work exists after approval
• Roles disappear after the petition is approved
It concludes that petitions are built for approval, not employment. - Section 4: Lottery gaming
This section claims manipulation of the H-1B lottery through:
• Multiple filings for the same worker by related companies
• Use of proxy or shell entities
• Artificially increasing selection odds
It states this crowds out legitimate employers. - Section 5: Fake client letters
The image alleges:
• Forged or recycled client letters
• No confirmed project or location
• Approvals obtained using false documentation
It labels these as paper clients, not real jobs. - Section 6: Bench fraud
This section claims:
• Workers are kept unpaid while on the bench
• Law requires full wage payment
• Fear of visa loss prevents reporting
It calls this a direct violation of labor law. - Section 7: Resumé fabrication
The graphic alleges:
• Fake experience added
• Invented project histories
• Interview coaching to memorize false resumes
It claims fraud extends to client interviews. - Section 8: Pay-to-play sponsorship
This section accuses sponsors of:
• Charging illegal fees to workers
• Money flowing from worker to employer
• Creating debt bondage
It calls this explicitly illegal. - Section 9: Body-shopping
The image describes a staffing model where:
• Workers are treated as inventory
• Short-term placements dominate
• Skill mismatches are ignored
It states humans are treated as commodities.
READ: FedEx pushes back on H-1B hiring as Indian American CEO cites ‘meritocracy’ (
- Section 10: Silencing tactics
It alleges intimidation through:
• Threats of termination
• Fear of visa cancellation
• Blacklisting within staffing networks - Section 11: Impact
The graphic claims harm to:
• U.S. workers through wage suppression and job displacement
• Honest employers through lost lottery slots and higher compliance costs
• Honest H-1B workers through increased scrutiny and credibility damage - Section 12: Why it continues
It argues enforcement fails due to:
• Paper-based verification
• Limited site visits
• Complaint-driven enforcement
It claims fraud is detected late or not at all.
Final message
The closing line reads:
“Fraud is not immigration. Fraud is exploitation.”
For many Indian Americans, the framing is deeply troubling. As these narratives circulate widely on social media, concerns are growing about their real-world impact, particularly at a time when immigration already sits at the center of U.S. political polarization. For Indian Americans, the fear is not just about visa policy, but about how quickly online rhetoric can normalize discrimination under the guise of reform.