H-1B visa controversy: Dallas attorney rebuts fraud claims by Marjorie Taylor Greene
HYDERABAD: A social media firestorm has erupted over H-1B visa practices in North Texas, with allegations of systemic fraud from a prominent U.S. politician and a detailed rebuttal from a Dallas-based immigration attorney at the center of the claims.
The controversy began when former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) targeted the region in a video posted to X(formerly Twitter), citing data showing a high concentration of H-1B visas in Texas and singling out immigration attorney Chand Paravathaneni.
“This is Chand Paravathanini. He’s an immigration lawyer here in Dallas, Texas, and as of 2024 has approved over 400,000 H-1B visa applicants and, as of 2025, has approved over 700,000 H-1B applicants in Texas,” Greene stated.
Greene’s remarks extended beyond immigration procedures. She showed images of suburban homes, implying they housed numerous H-1B workers operating tech companies, and discussed the issue in demographic terms. “North Texas has been completely overrun and overtaken by both Muslims and Indians,” she said, referencing local mosques. She further alleged that tax dollars fund fraudulent businesses and called for the elimination of the H-1B program through her proposed bill, HR 6937.
In response, Chand Parvathaneni issued a clarification video, directly addressing the allegations and what he termed misinformation.
Parvathaneni corrected the record on his authority. “I do not approve visas, all decisions are made solely by USCIS (for H-1B) and the Department of Labor (for LCA’s),” he stated. He emphasized that, as an attorney, his role is to file petitions using employer-provided documents, all of which are subject to government scrutiny.
He addressed the numbers cited (400,000 and 700,000), explaining these figures refer to Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) filed over many years, not individual visas approved in a single year. “The number being quoted as 700,000 is the number of LCA’s over a period of a number of years,” he said.
Parvathaneni explained that identical salaries across companies often result from legally mandated prevailing wage requirements, not fraud. He also affirmed that remote work is legal when properly disclosed to the Department of Labor.
While acknowledging the need for H-1B program reform, Parvathaneni rejected claims of widespread fraud. “Misinformation and targeting workers is not the solution,” he said, adding that most H-1B visa holders contribute to the economy, love the country, and work honestly.
