Apple’s Hiring Bias Case Reveals Big Tech Foreign Worker Dilemma

A $25 million Department of Justice settlement with Apple Inc. over allegations it discriminated against US citizens in hiring highlights a disconnect between federal agencies on compliance with immigration law, attorneys say.

The settlement is the second enforcement action against a major US employer over findings of bias when sponsoring foreign workers for lawful permanent residency. Companies that help employees secure green cards must fulfill US Labor Department recruiting requirements for the positions affected above and beyond typical hiring practices.

Those mandates—like having to advertise in Sunday print newspapers—were already anachronistic, say immigration attorneys who advise employers on the permanent ...