Since 2010, the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit has conducted both announced and unannounced inspections of the worksites.  The revenue generated from $500 anti-fraud fees funds the FDNS unit.  The goals of site visits are to verify that the petitioning employer (e.g. Emory University) and foreign beneficiary (e.g. H-1B employee) are complying with the terms of the approved employment petition and, more generally, to raise awareness of compliance obligations among the employer community. 

These visits can occur in person, by phone, email or fax.  The site visit officer may visit with the employee, their supervisor, or ISSS. 

If you (as the employee or the supervisor) are notified or visited by an FDNS officer, please take the following steps:

• Ask the government officer for his/her government ID and make a copy of it. 

• Ask the officer to wait in a conference room or a meeting room.

• Inform the officer that, per Emory’s protocol, you should contact the ISSS office (404-727-3300) immediately. 

• Contact your ISSS advisor.  If your ISSS advisor is out of the office, another ISSS advisor will come to your worksite for the site visit.

• Wait for your ISSS advisor to arrive before you begin the interview with the officer.  Your ISSS advisor should be present during the visit. 

• The officer will request that you provide some information/documentation following the visit.  Please contact your ISSS advisor about the requested information/documentation. 

Remember, these site visits are random and not uncommon, and don’t indicate that you have done something wrong.  You do not need to worry as long as the terms and conditions of your previously approved H-1B have not changed – including (but not limited to) the position title, full-time employee status, work location(s), duties, salary (other than annual merit adjustments which is normally less than 5%), position requirements, travel requirements, etc.

Finally, although not as common as the FDNS site visits, follow the same protocol if you are contacted or visited by any government officer for immigration-related reasons.  Contact your ISSS advisor and wait for us to arrive at your worksite.