Key facts
- OpenAI and Statsig have reached a settlement with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
- The settlement mandates three years of oversight on OpenAI's green-card employee sponsorship hiring practices.
- The companies will pay a total of $3.2 million, comprising a $1.2 million fine and $2 million for potential restitution to U.S. citizens.
- The DOJ alleged that OpenAI and Statsig violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by using tactics to deter U.S. citizens from applying for jobs requiring green-card sponsorship.
- The investigation into OpenAI and Statsig began separately before OpenAI acquired Statsig.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced on Wednesday that OpenAI and its former subsidiary Statsig have agreed to a settlement that includes three years of oversight over the AI lab's hiring practices related to green-card sponsorships.
The DOJ alleged that the companies employed tactics to prevent U.S. citizens from applying for jobs held by immigrant employees for whom they were sponsoring permanent residency. These tactics included not listing roles on public job boards, advertising late at night, and requiring paper applications. OpenAI and Statsig did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay $3.2 million, with $1.2 million designated as a fine and $2 million set aside for restitution to any U.S. citizens found to have been harmed.
The settlement addresses alleged violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which requires companies to seek qualified U.S. citizens before pursuing permanent residence applications for foreign workers. The DOJ stated that its investigation into OpenAI and Statsig began separately before OpenAI acquired Statsig in September 2025. This agreement is part of a broader effort by the DOJ to increase enforcement against companies engaging in such practices, following similar settlements with other major tech firms like Facebook and Apple during the Biden administration.