Indian Techie on H-1B Visa Sues US Firm for Forced Labour, Caste Bias

An Indian software engineer working in the United States under the H-1B visa programme has filed a lawsuit against his employer, alleging forced labour, wage theft, and caste-based exploitation.

The complaint, filed by Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, accuses Siri Software Solutions, LLC (SiriSoft) and its Indian-origin CEO Pavan Tata of “weaponising the visa system” to trap foreign workers in exploitative conditions by leveraging immigration status and threats of deportation.

According to the report first published by Breitbart News, the lawsuit argues that the company violated federal labour and immigration laws, coercing Vallabhaneni to work under illegal conditions while denying him fair wages and medical benefits.

“For the Indian workers, this is a Squid Game where the ultimate goal is to stay in America,” said Jay Palmer, a noted labour trafficking expert who assisted in preparing the case.

H-1B Visa and Exploitation: A Broken Promise of the American Dream

Vallabhaneni first arrived in the United States in 2015 on a student (F-1) visa, financed through borrowed funds to pursue higher education. After graduating, he joined the American workforce under the H-1B visa, a programme designed to allow skilled foreign professionals to work in specialty occupations such as technology and engineering.

In 2018, he joined SiriSoft, a New Jersey-based technology contracting company, which promised him visa sponsorship and a pathway to permanent residency (Green Card).

But according to his lawsuit, this promise became a tool of coercion. SiriSoft allegedly withheld his wages, forced him to pay his own salary for months, and threatened to cancel his visa petition if he objected.

“Despite blatant violations, Vallabhaneni was not free to leave SiriSoft because they threatened to withdraw his H-1B,” the complaint alleges.

The lawsuit further claims the company retained control of his immigration documents, violating US laws against labour trafficking and forced servitude under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Caste Bias and Coercion: ‘Imported Discrimination’

Jay Palmer, the consultant assisting Vallabhaneni, said the case exposes how caste-based hierarchies from India are being replicated in American tech workplaces.

“Indian CEOs import home-country caste-discrimination politics into US workplaces,” Palmer told Breitbart News.

The lawsuit claims Vallabhaneni faced differential treatment and verbal abuse from his employer based on caste identity. Such allegations reflect a growing number of cases where South Asian workers have accused Indian-origin companies in the US of perpetuating caste-based exclusion and humiliation.

Broken Promises and Economic Control

According to court filings, Vallabhaneni was repeatedly promised Green Card sponsorship, a crucial factor for H-1B workers seeking long-term legal stability in the US.

However, SiriSoft allegedly used this promise as leverage to extract compliance and silence objections.

“SiriSoft made clear that if Vallabhaneni did not make these payments or accept unlawfully low pay, the company would make sure he had to leave the United States,” the lawsuit reads.

He claims that despite being guaranteed the Department of Labor’s prevailing wage, he was paid inconsistently—often below subsistence levels—leaving him unable to afford rent, health insurance, or medical treatment.

When Vallabhaneni suffered a serious leg injury, he allegedly received no coverage or compensation because his insurance had lapsed due to unpaid premiums.

“At times, he and his wife went without medical care,” the lawsuit states.

The “Squid Game” of H-1B Dependence

Palmer described the H-1B system as a cycle of economic dependency and fear, comparing it to a “Squid Game” in which foreign workers must constantly comply or risk deportation.

The system, he said, allows employers to monopolize workers’ legal status, creating conditions where many cannot leave exploitative jobs without losing their right to stay in the country.

“It’s a very exploitative culture,” Palmer added. “For many, the price of resistance is deportation.”

Labour rights advocates have long argued that the H-1B framework—though legal—is ripe for abuse, particularly by staffing firms that sponsor foreign workers but subcontract them to other clients, pocketing a share of their wages.

Legal Demands and Wider Implications

Vallabhaneni’s lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, and a jury trial, accusing SiriSoft of:

• Violating US labour and wage laws.

• Withholding immigration documents unlawfully.

• Engaging in forced labour and trafficking.

• Breaching contractual and moral obligations under the H-1B programme.

The case, if upheld, could set a major legal precedent for H-1B labour rights and caste discrimination accountability in the United States.

SiriSoft and its CEO Pavan Tata have not yet responded publicly to the allegations.

A Growing Pattern of Exploitation

The lawsuit follows a series of high-profile cases exposing systemic exploitation of Indian H-1B workers in the US tech sector.

In recent years, several firms — including Infosys, Wipro, and smaller consulting agencies — have faced federal scrutiny for visa fraud, unpaid wages, and discriminatory workplace practices.

In 2023, the California Civil Rights Department began investigating allegations of caste discrimination in Indian-dominated technology firms, following the landmark Cisco case, where two Dalit engineers accused senior managers of bias.

“Caste bias is the hidden layer of tech’s diversity problem,” said a US-based advocacy group, Equality Labs, which has been campaigning for caste protections in American workplaces.

The Human Cost of a Broken System

For thousands of Indian tech professionals like Vallabhaneni, the lawsuit highlights the precarious reality of visa dependency — a system where job loss can mean instant deportation, debt default, or personal ruin.

The H-1B programme, designed to bring global talent to the US, now stands accused of enabling modern-day servitude for many immigrant workers, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds.

“I came here for opportunity,” Vallabhaneni said in his filing. “Instead, I was trapped by the very system meant to protect me.”

What Comes Next

The case has been filed in a US federal court and is currently under review. Labour watchdogs expect it to intensify calls for reform of the H-1B system, including greater oversight of staffing agencies and mandatory wage transparency.

If successful, Vallabhaneni’s case could empower hundreds of foreign tech workers facing similar coercion to come forward and seek justice.

Until then, his words serve as a stark reminder of the imbalance at the heart of the global tech economy:

“For H-1B workers, the American dream often feels like a game of survival.”