A ‘whistleblower’ has alleged large-scale misuse of the H-1B visa program at First Citizens Bank. The post, shared by an X user, claims that all of the bank’s directors and managers are Indians on H-1B visas,  despite holding positions that, according to the source, do not require the kind of specialised skills usually associated with this visa category.

Whistleblower accuses bank of misusing H-1B visa system

The claims first surfaced on X, where user Matt Forney shared a detailed post accusing the North Carolina–based bank of “blatant abuse of the immigration system.” “According to the ‘whistleblower’, all of First Citizens Bank’s directors and managers are Indians on H-1B visas, even though these are not skilled jobs that require specialised knowledge,” the post read. “Are we supposed to believe that Americans are incapable of managing a bank?”

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The ‘whistleblower’ reportedly provided an example of a Labor Condition Application (LCA) filed by the bank for one of its Indian directors.  The role, they said, is 100 percent remote,  a position that doesn’t require the physical presence of a foreign employee in the United States. Despite that, the bank not only filed the visa paperwork but also sponsored an employment-based green card for the same individual. “The bank filed to get his green card even though the job does not need a foreign worker,” the whistleblower claimed.

The ‘whistleblower’ further said the Indian director in question had shown “overt favouritism” towards fellow Indian employees when it came to hiring and promotions. “Despite this discrimination being a violation of federal labor law, management doesn’t care,” the post added.

Branding it as  “a clear case of bias,” the whistleblower urged federal authorities to investigate First Citizens Bank, stating, “Americans will not stand for this blatant abuse of the immigration system.”

The claims came alongside an image appearing to be an official Labor Condition Application (LCA) filed with the US Department of Labor. The document, titled “H1B LCA Details for Case No: I-200-23157-083526 (Year 2023) with First Citizens Bank and Trust Co.” includes details of a position for a “Director, App Dev & Support – Pega Solution Design Manager.” According to the filing, the role falls under the Software Developers (SOC code 15-1252.00) category and is a full-time position valid from July 2023 to June 2026. The LCA, which is a mandatory step before hiring an H-1B worker, certifies that the bank meets wage and working condition requirements.

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What the data shows

According to data from MyVisaJobs.com, First Citizens Bank & Trust has been a long-time sponsor of employment-based visas in recent years. In the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025, the bank filed 106 LCAs for H-1B visas, 12 green card petitions, and “40 prevailing wage determination requests.” In fiscal year 2025 alone, the bank reportedly filed 46 Form I-129 petitions for H-1B visas with 45 approvals and just one denial. The same public data shows that most foreign workers sponsored by First Citizens Bank for permanent employment were Indian nationals (17), followed by Chinese workers (2).

The bank, founded in 1898 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is listed under the Finance and Insurance category.

So far, there is no publicly verified evidence supporting the ‘whistleblower’s’ specific claims about discrimination or visa fraud at First Citizens Bank. Neither the bank nor any federal agency has issued a statement or confirmed an investigation at this stage.
The allegations come as the Trump administration tightens its rules around the use of H-1B visas in the United States, aiming to give Americans more opportunities in sectors heavily dominated by foreign workers. Alongside imposing a hefty $100,000 fee per new petition for employers, the Trump administration has also launched Project Firewall, which will monitor whether companies are following visa regulations, and fine those that fail to comply.