How to identify fake H1B's and OPT'S

 Who are these people with fake resumes?

1. OPT Students (Foreign Students who complete their Masters in United States and are eligible for full time work authorization because of Optional Practical Training)
2. H1B Candidates (These folks are either OPTs who are recently converted to H1B in last 2 years or folks who traveled from offshore with a H1B with 2-3 years of experience or none. You never know.)

 What is the pattern of the fake resume?

1. Resume with no Last Name
2. Resume includes employer’s phone number not the candidate's number
3. A Bachelor’s Degree without year of graduation
4. Resume includes 6-8 years’ of experience with first 3-4 years’ of experience in offshore and the rest in United States.
5. The offshore companies they put up in the resume are either banks or some companies with factious names
6. The project timelines are lengthy typically 1.5 to 2 years
7. Roles and responsibilities look very similar in almost all the projects

The pattern is as follows in case of a recent H1B or someone with 2-3 years’ experience,

7. Resume includes 9-12 years’ of experience with first 4-5 years’ of experience in offshore and the rest in United States.
8. First 2-3 projects look OK but after that the projects follow a very similar pattern

What do they claim when they speak to you?

1. They say they traveled to United States on a L1 or H1BVisa
2. They claim they are currently on H1B or an extension
3. Their availability for a phone call is typically after 2:00 PM Mon-Fri or 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. But, if you arrange an interview with short notice they won’t take it because their PROXY might not be available at the time.
4. They say they can provide references but these references include consultants working for their employer at a client site or who has some relation with candidates firm.
5. Few claim they started working full time when they were  in the 3rd year of their college, just to make sure the experience adds up to 7-8 years (as mentioned in resume).

How to WEED OUT these fake profiles?

1. Start with the resume word document properties, check for the name of the author, if it isn’t candidates’ name then something is fishy
2. Look out for typical resume formats and responses mentioned above
3. Check their online presence, primarily LinkedIn (this might not work all the time). Most of the candidates with fake resumes doesn't have any online presence (Facebook, Linked, Twitter, Instagram)
4. Ask the names of the project managers they are currently working for and look up their names on LinkedIn (This holds good for OPT candidates but not for the recent H1B candidates)
5. Ask for the copy of highest degree
6. Ask for candidate's 1-797 copy (when first applied) and make a note of the receipt number. Cross check I-797 status using https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do. Plug in the receipt number to find the date of approval and is fool proof since the information obtained is directly from USCIS.
7. VerifyI-94 information using https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html. You need to get the passport copy and the consent from the candidate. This is again fool proof since the information obtained is directly from Department of Homeland Security.
8. Verify Divers License or any photo ID
9. Finally, cross check dates from each document.

Note: These folks are capable of forging any document. So, when you look at the documents focus on Names, Date of Birth, and Visa Approval Dates/Expiry Dates. Zoom in to the area and make sure they are not tampered. Look for changes in the document background (color/texture/white box), change in font style/size.

Often, it is hard to get the documents form the candidates. In that case, the only option left out is to ask the consultant to prove their experience/authenticity.

Written by
Aravind Ramachandran