US to strip Indian origin CEO Neeraj Sharma of citizenship: What was his fraud?
The United States Justice Department announced on Tuesday, June 9, that it has filed for denaturalisation actions against one Neeraj Sharma, the owner of a
The United States Justice Department announced on Tuesday, June 9, that it has filed for denaturalisation actions against one Neeraj Sharma, the owner of a New Jersey-based staffing company Magnavision LLC, for allegedly signing and filing 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions. During his naturalisation interview, Neeraj had also lied about his past criminal conduct. He became a US citizen in December 2017 but was later convicted of fraud and misuse of visas. The letters submitted by Neeraj Sharma as supporting documents for H-1B petitions carried fake signatures of executives of the global financial institution, the justice department said. According to the charges filed against him, Neeraj Sharma “signed and filed eleven fraudulent H-1B visa petitions with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”).” Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 What fraudulent actions did Neeraj Sharma allegedly commit regarding H-1B visa petitions? ⌵ Neeraj Sharma is accused of signing and filing 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions, using fake signatures from executives of a global financial institution and making false employment claims for visa beneficiaries.
2 Why is Neeraj Sharma facing denaturalization in the United States? ⌵ Neeraj Sharma is facing denaturalization because he allegedly illegally procured his citizenship by failing to disclose his past criminal conduct, providing false testimony, and misrepresenting material facts during his naturalization process. 3 How did Neeraj Sharma become a US citizen despite his fraudulent activities? ⌵ Neeraj Sharma became a US citizen after his application was approved by USCIS, which was based on the false assertions he made about his criminal history and the fraudulent H-1B visa petitions he filed. 4 What consequences can arise from illegally procuring US citizenship? ⌵ Illegally procuring US citizenship can lead to denaturalization and revocation of citizenship, as stipulated under the Immigration and Nationality Act, if the naturalization was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation. 5 What does the US Justice Department say about the responsibility of citizenship? ⌵ The US Justice Department emphasizes that American citizenship is a privilege that must be earned honestly, and that individuals who break laws and lie in their immigration proceedings forfeit that privilege.
The department said that each petition that Neeraj Sharma filed included “false representations that the visa beneficiaries would be employed with a particular global financial institution, and also included letters on official corporate letterhead with forged signatures of the executives.” Neeraj Sharma, the charges read, also “falsely asserted that he had never committed a crime or crime for which he was not arrested.” He also emphasised he had never “given any US Government officials any information or documentation that was false or misleading, and lied to any US government official to gain immigration benefits.” As these assertions were filed by him, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved his application and he became a US citizen. During verification, the department found that Neeraj Sharma had falsely made these assertions, and filed for denaturalisation actions. Also Read | Meet the 4 Indian-origin footballers set to play at FIFA World Cup 2026 “The United States seeks to revoke Defendant’s naturalization, pursuant to 8 USC § 1451(a), as an alien who illegally procured his naturalization by: (1) failing to disclose unlawful acts; (2) providing false testimony; and (3) concealment of a material fact and willful misrepresentation,” it said.
The BriefWire