Secretary Mullin explained the change as an attempt to protect national security and prevent immigration fraud.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been sued by a coalition of university organizations and labor unions after the agency ended the “duration of status” policy for international students studying in the U.S. on student visas. Under the new rule, foreign students will be limited to four-year stays and required to undergo a federal review that includes submitting biometric information and security, identity, and fraud screening if an extension is needed.
When the policy update was announced, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, “For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud. For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the U.S. indefinitely,…
CLICK HERE to read the FULL DHS Sued Over Removal of Student Visa “Duration of Status” article.
PAYROLL & HR CONTROLS (PREVENTING “GHOST” SCHEMES)
Payroll fraud is often the hardest to detect because it “looks” like a normal business expense.
- Segregation of Duties (SoD): The person who adds new employees to the system must not be the same person who approves the monthly pay run.
- Mandatory Vacation Policy: Require all financial and HR staff to take 5–10 consecutive days of leave annually. Fraud often surfaces when the perpetrator isn’t there to “hide” the trail.
- Ghost Employee Audit: Perform a quarterly “Headcount Reconciliation” where managers must physically verify every name on their payroll list exists.
- Self-Pay Blocking: Ensure the payroll software has a hard-coded block preventing administrators from editing their own salary or bank details.