Bangladesh, July 23 -- Investigations into fraud within US immigration programs have intensified in recent months, bringing renewed attention to abuses involving work visas, fraudulent educational credentials, and the misuse of employment-based immigration pathways. While these investigations have generated headlines and prompted calls for stricter enforcement, many immigration critics argue that focusing exclusively on fraud risks overlooking what they see as a much larger issue: the structure of some visa programs themselves.

Among the programs attracting the greatest scrutiny is the H-1B visa, which allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations. Originally designed to help companies recruit highly skilled ...