DOJ Gains 3-Year Oversight of OpenAI Green-Card Hiring
Original: Trump’s DOJ gains oversight of OpenAI’s green-card employee sponsorships
Why This Matters
DOJ oversight of AI lab hiring practices signals tightened INA enforcement across the tech sector.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division announced a settlement with OpenAI and Statsig on Aug. 5, 2026, covering three years of oversight over PERM hiring practices and a $3.2M payment, including $1.2M fine and $2M restitution fund, over alleged INA violations.
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division announced on August 5, 2026 that OpenAI and its former subsidiary Statsig signed a settlement agreement requiring three years of DOJ oversight over their hiring practices related to green-card sponsorships. The companies will pay a combined $3.2 million — $1.2 million as a civil fine and $2 million held in reserve for potential restitution to U.S. citizens harmed by the alleged practices. Neither company admitted wrongdoing. The DOJ alleged that OpenAI and Statsig violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by failing to conduct good-faith recruitment of U.S. citizens before filing Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) applications. Specific tactics cited included not posting roles on public job boards, advertising openings on the radio late at night, and requiring paper rather than electronic applications. Fewer than 10 roles were at issue. Under the settlement, the companies must submit semiannual reports detailing PERM applications filed, U.S. citizens interviewed, and related statistics, while also obtaining DOJ approval for their PERM-role hiring policies. The DOJ began investigating both companies in August 2025, covering five OpenAI cases from 2023–2025 and one Statsig case. OpenAI had acquired Statsig in September 2025 and divested part of the business in May 2026. The DOJ noted the settlement is part of a broader enforcement effort, though similar actions were also taken against Facebook and Apple under the Biden administration.