US subpoenas Infosys for visa violation

software giant Infosys Technologies on Wednesday said it will “co-operate fully” with a probe by US authorities into allegations that it violated visa laws, reports the Hindustan Times.

Infosys, one of the leaders of India's flagship outsourcing sector, said it received a notice late Tuesday from a Texas court requesting documents used to obtain visas for staff attending meetings and conferences in the US.

“We have received the subpoena and are currently internally reviewing details relating to the matter,” the Infosys co-chairman S Gopalakrishnan said in the southern city of Bangalore.

North America, which includes the US, is the largest revenue earner ($6 billion) for Infosys and accounted for 66% of its sales last year, writes My Digital FC.

Infosys, which mentioned the employee lawsuit effects as a risk in its latest annual report, said the subpoena required it to provide information to the grand jury regarding the company's sponsorships for, and uses of, B1 business visas.

A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel a witness to give testimony or production of evidence. “We intend to comply with the subpoena and cooperate with the grand jury's investigation,” Infosys said.

It is not known whether the subpoena is related to a lawsuit filed in late February in an Alabama court by Jack 'Jay' Palmer, an Infosys employee since 2008, who alleged that Infosys was sending workers holding B1 visas to work at customer sites, states PC World.

Infosys was not immediately available for comment.

B1 business visas are intended for short-term uses, such as consulting with business associates, attending business conventions or negotiating contracts.

The H-1B visa, generally used by Indian outsourcing companies, is a non-immigrant visa, which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.