Feds Investigating Visa Irregularities under Pennsylvania State Labor Law

West Chester, PAFederal investigators have taken an interest in several workplace irregularities involving working visas at a West Chester temp agency, in what could be a serious violation of federal and Pennsylvania state labor law.

The complaints center on International Personnel Resources, an Eastern Pennsylvania personnel firm that allegedly stockpiled work visas by using fraudulent information and transporting illegal workers into the U.S.

According to a report filed by the US Attorney's Office, the company submitted work visas using names randomly chosen from a Mexican phone book. There are also allegations of exaggerated worker requests and forged customer signatures.

"By falsely inflating the number of visas requested, defendants and their co-conspirators were able to create a pool of approved H-2B visas for the benefit of (International Personnel Resources) clients and to the exclusion of other U.S. companies," claims the suit, as quoted by Workforce Management Magazine.

The H-2B work visa is designed is an employer-sponsored document that allows immigrants to perform temp jobs for an American company.

Approximately 430 illegal immigrants were able to enter the country due to the actions of IPR, according to the lawsuit.