On October 20, 2026, Instacart parent Maplebear Inc. agreed to pay $5 million to settle DOJ and EEOC joint findings that it intentionally discriminated against U.S. workers. Regulators revealed Instacart forced American applicants to mail paper applications for PERM green-card positions while accepting electronic submissions for others. The deal mandates a $4 million fund for affected job seekers and $1 million in penalties, marking the 15th such settlement under federal anti-bias enforcement.
Instacart $5 million settlement
- ▪Maplebear Inc., operating as Instacart, agreed on October 20, 2026 to pay $5 million to settle federal allegations that it discriminated against U.S. workers in hiring.
- ▪The $4 million compensation fund covers U.S. applicants who applied or were deterred from applying to Instacart between December 2023 and February 2026.
- ▪Under the settlement terms announced October 20, 2026, Maplebear Inc. will pay $1 million in civil penalties and establish a $4 million fund for affected job applicants.
PERM recruitment discrimination practices
- ▪Federal agencies alleged Instacart required U.S. applicants to physically mail paper applications for PERM-related roles while accepting electronic applications for standard job postings.
- ▪As part of the October 20, 2026 agreement, Instacart must post PERM job openings on its public career website and accept electronic applications from all candidates.
- ▪The U.S. PERM process requires employers sponsoring foreign visa holders for permanent residency to conduct good-faith recruitment to ensure no qualified U.S. workers are available.
Trump administration H-1B enforcement
- ▪The Instacart agreement marks the 15th settlement reached by the DOJ Civil Rights Division under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon to protect U.S. workers.
- ▪In August 2026, OpenAI agreed to a $3.2 million settlement with the DOJ over allegations it favored foreign visa holders in PERM recruitment.
DOJ Civil Rights Division findings
- ▪The EEOC and DOJ Joint investigation found that Instacart intentionally preferred temporary visa candidates over U.S. workers during the PERM recruitment process.
- ▪EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas stated that the agency will act decisively when employers erect unlawful barriers that deny equal work opportunities to U.S. workers.
Instacart compliance statement
- ▪Instacart maintained that its recruitment practices complied with all applicable laws and regulations while agreeing to settle the investigation to focus on its business.
- ▪Instacart stated on October 20, 2026 that it actively promotes open roles to ensure qualified U.S. candidates are prioritized for employment opportunities.
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