I would think the person should ask for a raise or maybe what would need to be done to get a raise. I don’t see how the visa status needs to play in to good old

I would think the person should ask for a raise or maybe what would need to be done to get a raise. I don’t see how the visa status needs to play in to good old expectation setting. The boss might say “never” or they might surprise both of you and have a real reason. Something wild like, we barely meet payroll obligations now and we know we can’t lay you off without you getting booted from the country so we pay you less to ensure your long-term employment here... not sure but as a general rule don’t pretend to know why someone else doesn’t get a raise. The reality can be surprising (good or bad) Next you should advocate for the outcome you really want. “Fair and equal treatment of our visa employees”. This you can champion without getting ahead of yourself. I tend to find that pushing for the principle can be better than the specific instance. If you win, you accomplish more than your original intent and you’ve done humanity and your workplace a good deed. If you lose, you can sleep at night knowing you tried.