US YouTuber Accuses Telugu Man of Violating H-1B Visa Norms

Hyderabad:A Telugu man in the United States was confronted by a social media content creator over alleged violation of H-1B visa norms while operating a food business in Texas, with the video of the exchange drew wide attention online.

Texas-based YouTuber Sara Gonzales confronted Naveen Tummala, an H-1B visa holder, alleging that he was running a food truck business, ‘Golconda Xpress’, across multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth region in violation of H1-B visa norms.

In a video posted on YouTube, Sara claimed the case reflected a pattern where an H-1B visa holder operates a business in the name of an H-4 visa holder. She cited documents and deposition records, stating that Naveen’s H-1B visa was sponsored by Flexera Global Inc. and that he had described himself as the “master chef” of the food truck.

The ‘Golconda Xpress’ food truck, according to its social media pages, operates outlets in Denton, Aubrey, McKinney and Frisco, and runs daily between 5 pm and midnight.

During the confrontation, Naveen denied the allegations and said he continued to work with Flexera. He said that he was present at the food truck to fix a printer. “I am off my duty. I cannot help my wife?” he said.

He added, “Do you think I am getting paid for it? I know my rules, and I know my rights.” When asked about the absence of his wife, who is stated to be the owner of the business under an H-4 visa, Naveen responded, “Do you think business owners are always at the businesses they own?”

The exchange became heated, with Sara alleging a violation of visa norms and stating, “You should apologise to me for scamming my system”. She left the premises after Naveen told her she was trespassing.

The video has since gone viral, with online users debating the legality of the situation.

Under United States immigration rules, H-1B visa holders are permitted to work only for their sponsoring employer. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services policy manual, H-1B holders are not allowed to undertake additional work, whether paid or unpaid.

Immigration analyst Rajeshwar Rao said, “Even helping out in a business can be legally counted as unauthorised work. Because at the end of the day, the business is still turning in money from the work, and the H-1B holder is not officially on payroll.”

He added, “There is a very fine line between what an H-1B holder is authorised to do and not authorised to do, and often people tend to overshoot their rules and go way beyond the existing norms. An H-1B holder can legally invest money, but they cannot run the business or participate in day-to-day activities. In a legal case, the work the holder does can be turned against them, which can even lead to their visa being terminated.”