• Source:JND

A Telugu-origin tech businessman, Kishore Dattapuram, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for his role in a large-scale H-1B visa fraud scheme. The sentencing was handed down by US District Judge Edward J. Davila on charges of conspiracy and visa fraud. Dattapuram, aged 55 and residing in Santa Clara, California, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of visa fraud.

Dattapuram co-founded and operated Nanosemantics, Inc., a staffing firm based in San Jose. The company specialised in placing skilled foreign workers, primarily in the technology sector. Through Nanosemantics, Dattapuram and his co-defendants regularly submitted H-1B visa petitions on behalf of foreign workers to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

To secure these visas, employers are required to file Form I-129, demonstrating that there are real, pre-existing jobs available for the petitioned workers. However, prosecutors revealed that the job offers in the applications were fictitious. Dattapuram paid various companies to falsely represent themselves as employers, knowing that the foreign workers would never actually work at these locations.

Scheme Designed For Competitive Advantage

The motive behind the fraud was to gain a competitive edge in the labour market. By obtaining H-1B visas in advance, without real job offers, Nanosemantics could quickly deploy workers as soon as employment opportunities arose. This allowed the company to bypass the usual waiting periods associated with visa processing and get ahead of legitimate staffing competitors.

Authorities described the operation as a calculated attempt to manipulate the H-1B visa system, which is designed to bring foreign talent into the US for genuine, specialised jobs.

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Federal Consequences And Financial Penalties

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Davila ordered Dattapuram to serve three years of supervised release. He must also forfeit USD 125,456.48, pay a fine of USD 7,500, and a USD 1,100 special assessment fee.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Sarah Griswold and Special Assistant US Attorney Johnny James, with support from investigators Lynette Dixon and Nina Burney. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in collaboration with USCIS.

Acting US Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and HSI Special Agent Tatum King emphasised that the sentencing sends a clear message: fraudulent manipulation of the US visa system will not be tolerated. 


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