Using institutional power and fake companies, two Indian-Americans acquired H1B Visas illegally for Indians. Photo: iStock
Two Indian-Americans plead guilty to H-1B visa fraud scheme
Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada used fake University of California job offers to secure H-1B visas, then ‘sold’ the workers to private clients
Two Indian-origin men from Dublin, California, Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada, both 51, pleaded guilty on April 16 to conspiracy to commit H-1B visa fraud. The US Justice Department on Friday revealed that the two pleaded guilty for running an illegal visa scheme from June 2020 through January 2023.
They face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine and the sentencing is scheduled for July 30 before US District Judge Troy L. Nunley.
Insider and the operator
The scheme had two distinct roles. Rajidi ran two companies, S-Team Software Inc and Uptrend Technologies LLC, structured around sourcing foreign workers and placing them with businesses through the H-1B visa route.
Mada, a Chief Information Officer of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources in Davis, provided the institutional cover. According to reports, his title lent credibility to the fraudulent petitions, even though his role did not permit him to hire H-1B workers without additional authorisation.
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Jobs that never existed
Rajidi falsely represented on the petitions that the visa beneficiaries would be employed in roles at the University of California. In reality, the beneficiaries did not work on any UC projects, the duo instead marketed them to private clients after the visas were secured.
Legitimate applicants lost out
H-1B visas are allocated through a lottery system with far more applicants than available slots each year. By filing petitions backed by false institutional claims, the pair secured approvals their candidates would not otherwise have received.
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The University of California was informed of the investigation in 2024. It conducted an internal review, determined Mada had violated university policy, However, the univesity maintained that there were no findings about broader institutional misconduct.