OpenAI and Statsig Reach $3.2 Million Settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced a significant settlement with leading artificial intelligence company OpenAI and its former subsidiary Statsig. Under the agreement, the companies’ hiring practices will be subject to government oversight for three years. Officials emphasized that the measure is an important step toward ensuring fairness in the labor market and preventing violations. Techcrunch.com reports .

According to ixbt.com, the Department of Justice accused OpenAI and Statsig of deliberately preventing U.S. citizens from applying for job openings while arranging permanent-resident (green card) sponsorship for foreign employees. According to the investigation, the companies used various artificial barriers to bypass the process of genuinely seeking qualified local professionals, as required by immigration law.

Immigration Law Violations and Penalties

The investigation found that the companies accused had not posted their vacancies on major job-search platforms. Instead, they used methods such as placing advertisements on the radio at night and requiring applications to be submitted only on paper rather than accepting them electronically. These practices allegedly violated relevant provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Although the companies maintained that they had committed no violations, they agreed to pay a total of $3.2 million under the settlement. Of this amount, $1.2 million will be collected as a penalty. The remaining $2 million will be placed in a special fund to compensate U.S. citizens whose rights were violated because of the specified job openings, if the Department of Justice identifies them.

Oversight Mechanisms and Future Obligations

Although the dispute involved fewer than 10 job openings, the settlement requires the companies to end serious violations related to positions for which permanent-resident status applications (PERM) are filed. In particular, they must develop a new hiring policy, obtain approval from the Department of Justice, and submit special reports every six months.

These reports must provide detailed information on the number of applications submitted for foreign employees, the U.S. citizens interviewed, and other necessary statistics. OpenAI acquired Statsig, an artificial intelligence and A/B testing company, in September 2025, but transferred at least part of it to another owner in May 2026.