Federal agents say they uncovered evidence of fraud and noncompliance during recent inspections of Northern Virginia employers that hire foreign students under the federal Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the site visits targeted IT services companies in the region that hire students with F-1 visas through the OPT program, which allows foreign students to work in the US for limited periods after graduation.

Investigators discovered signs of staged or nonfunctional worksites, along with supervisors unfamiliar with employment laws, ICE said.In one case, agents found that a company listed as employing “dozens of foreign students” was actually operating out of a suburban home in Northern Virginia, according to the agency.

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