Can naturalised US citizens lose citizenship? Neeraj Sharma case explains

The US Justice Department's action against Indian-origin CEO Neeraj Sharma has renewed attention on denaturalisation and the circumstances under which citizenship can be revoked

The US Justice Department on Monday announced denaturalisation proceedings against 17 naturalised citizens, including Indian-origin CEO Neeraj Sharma, in a sweeping action against individuals accused of serious offences, including sexual abuse of a minor, wire and bank fraud, and distributing drugs without a licence.

Who is Neeraj Sharma?

According to a US Justice Department release, Neeraj Sharma is a 50-year-old India-born businessman and the Owner-CEO of Magnavision LLC, a New Jersey-based staffing company. The case against him centres on 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions filed by the company, which have now led the Justice Department to seek the revocation of his US citizenship.

 

What is the allegation?

Between 2015 and 2017, Sharma, as an officer of Magnavision LLC, signed and filed 11 fraudulent H-1B visa petitions with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The filings were made before he applied for naturalisation as a US citizen in 2017.

How did the H-1B fraud work?

The fraud involved false claims that the visa beneficiaries would be employed by a particular global financial institution. The petitions also carried letters on official corporate letterheads, with forged signatures of company executives.

 

Sharma was arrested in 2019 in connection with the visa fraud case. The Justice Department now says he was later convicted of Fraud and Misuse of Visas, with the offence period running from April 25, 2015, to April 27, 2017.

Why is the US targeting his citizenship?

Under US naturalisation rules, applicants are required to state, under oath, that they have not committed crimes for which they were not arrested, given false or misleading information to US government officials, or lied to obtain immigration benefits.

 

The Justice Department has described Sharma’s case as one involving citizenship obtained through falsehood. It has alleged that he failed to disclose unlawful acts and made false representations during the naturalisation process, triggering the denaturalisation proceedings.

What is denaturalisation?

Denaturalisation is the legal process through which a naturalised US citizen can lose citizenship. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizenship may be revoked, and the certificate of naturalisation cancelled, if naturalisation was illegally procured or obtained by concealing a material fact or through wilful misrepresentation.

Can US citizenship really be taken away?

Yes, but only in limited circumstances. Denaturalisation is generally pursued in cases involving fraud, concealment of material facts, or illegal procurement of citizenship. In Sharma’s case, the US government has alleged that his naturalisation was based on false representations.

 

The process applies to naturalised citizens, not visa holders or US-born citizens.

Why this matters for Indians and H-1B workers?

The proceedings come at a time of tighter scrutiny around H-1B visas and immigration pathways in the US. For Indian professionals, who form a large share of the H-1B workforce, the case highlights how past visa filings and disclosures can come under renewed examination during or after the naturalisation process.

 

US President Donald Trump, in a proclamation signed on September 19, 2025, required a $100,000 payment for certain new H-1B petitions involving workers outside the US. A federal judge in Boston later struck down the fee, although separate litigation over the policy has produced conflicting rulings. Indian workers remain the largest group in the H-1B system, accounting for nearly three-fourths of approvals.

 

The writer is a 2026 batch Business Standard-Rahul Khullar intern