Jobs.Now, a US website that particularly gained public attention last year for exposing “hidden jobs” for American workers, revealed a set of “Apple PERM jobs” on April 12 (US time). The PERM program is administered by the US Department of Labor and the US Department of Homeland Security, and allows employers to sponsor workers for lawful permanent resident status in the US after completing certain requirements.

As part of its bid to lift the lid on hiring posts that may allegedly cater to non-immigrant work visa holders, the platform positioned itself as a “gateway to hidden job postings big companies don’t want you to see,” according to its X bio. Even more so, it doubled down on raising questions like “American workers being sidelined” under US President Donald Trump’s second term, which, in turn, marked a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment.

Having long called out such hiring advertisements, Jobs.Now’s track record has even earned praise from top Donald Trump administration officials, including Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice, Harmeet Dhillon.

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‘Anti-H1B’ website shares ‘hidden’ Apple PERM jobs for US workers

As per Jobs.Now’s revelation, the job profile titled “Software Development Engineer [REF 200652104]” is expected to offer a salary ranging between $180.71k and $258.10k per year. According to the website, the role would require a candidate to “partner with cross-functional teams to integrate new actions and capabilities into the Shortcuts app.”

It further adds that the ideal applicant “may be eligible for discount bonus/commission/shareholder opportunity and other benefits.” The website meant for US workers redirects attention to certain webpages on the Apple website for more guidelines and resume submission, while highlighting that the tech giant is an “EOE,” which means it’s an Equal Opportunity Employer.

In addition to highlighting the “Apple PERM job,” the job posting website also reminded its users about the Justice Department’s three-year-old landmark $25 million agreement with Apple to resolve employment discrimination allegations based on citizenship status.

On November 9, 2023, the DOJ announced that the tech giant was required to pay up to $25 million in backpay and civil penalties under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). With the investigation starting in 2019, it was found that Apple “engaged in a pattern or practice of citizenship status discrimination in recruitment for positions it hired through PERM, and that the company’s unlawful discrimination prejudiced U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, and those granted asylum or refugee status,” according to then-published DOJ news release.

“These less effective recruitment practices deterred protected workers from applying to positions that Apple preferred to fill instead with PERM beneficiaries.”

Notably, the department found that Apple did not advertise positions the company sought to fill through the PERM program on its external job website. According to the investigation, Apple also demanded that all PERM position applicants mail paper applications despite the firm allowing electronic applications for other positions. The “less effective recruitment procedures,” as described by the DOJ, nearly always resulted in fewer or no applications to PERM positions from applicants whose permission to work doesn’t expire.

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DOJ against hiring bias and preference for H-1B visa holders

The American website has repeatedly called out job advertisements online, many of which have openly established their “H-1B visa only” hiring calls. Amid the already surging scrutiny the work visa program is under, the Department of Justice has repeatedly clarified that discriminatory language in job postings will be met with legal actions.

Just recently, the DOJ announced it had imposed a $313,420 fine on the New Jersey-based professional services provider, Compunnel Software Group Inc., amid allegations that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (NIA) due to bias against US workers and preference for H-1B visa holders in job posts.

Indian-origin Trump aide Harmeet Dhillon, who has often reiterated via her official X account that her department has taken cognisance of numerous “H-1B visa only” hiring posts, once again praised Jobs.Now this week.

“Thank you for drawing our attention to these issues. We have reached many settlements in these cases in the last year under our Protect US Workers initiative,” she wrote on X in response to the platform identifying the “Apple PERM job.” She further affirmed that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division was already looking into some other posts the website had highlighted earlier. “Proud of our team led by DAAG Eric Sell,” she said of the Deputy Assistant Attorney, Civil Rights Division.