Washington: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a North Texas company and its Chinese owner, alleging they operated fake childcare businesses to fraudulently obtain H-1B visas and deceive regulators.
The lawsuit, filed in Collin County, accuses Golden Qi Holdings, LLC and Yuan Yao, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, of advertising childcare and autism therapy services that allegedly did not exist.
Paxton said the case emerged from a broader investigation into alleged abuse of the H-1B visa programme.
“Let this be a warning to anyone considering trying to scam the H-1B visa programme. I will continue fighting to ensure that the H-1B programme serves the interests of Americans, not Chinese nationals, and that those who abuse the programme are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Paxton said.
“My office will continue to work to stop any foreign national from entering this country unlawfully,” he added.
According to the lawsuit, Yao owned and managed several Texas entities, including Golden Qi Holdings, that allegedly used websites to portray themselves as operational childcare facilities in Allen, Texas.
One of the businesses, Allen Infant Care Center, described itself online as a place “where every baby blossoms!” and invited parents to “come visit us [to] see the loving care we provide.”
But the suit says Blaze Media reporter Sara Gonzales visited the listed address and instead found “an empty building and a playground overgrown with vegetation.”
The petition states that an individual familiar with the property told Gonzales that the facility had not operated “for some time” and alleged that Yao “sells visas.”
The lawsuit further claims that the businesses filed visa petitions with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department for workers ranging from software developers to supply chain analysts.
Texas also alleged that Golden Qi Holdings submitted 20 Labour Condition Applications between 2024 and 2026 for positions including software engineer, market research analyst, app developer, financial analyst and business intelligence analyst.
The state said neither Allen Infant Care Center nor DFW ABA Center had licences to operate childcare facilities in Texas. It also alleged that neither Yao nor Golden Qi Holdings possessed childcare licences.
The complaint seeks temporary and permanent injunctions to halt the alleged operations, remove advertisements for childcare services and stop the defendants from sponsoring H-1B visas tied to the Allen address.
Texas is also seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each alleged violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, along with additional penalties under the Texas Human Resources Code.
The H-1B visa programme allows US employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialised occupations, particularly in technology, engineering and finance. Indian professionals constitute the overwhelming majority of H-1B recipients every year, making developments involving visa scrutiny closely watched in India.
The lawsuit comes amid intensifying political debate in the United States over immigration enforcement, foreign influence concerns and alleged misuse of employment-based visa programmes. Texas under Paxton has increasingly pursued aggressive legal action tied to immigration and national security issues.
(IANS)
