October 14, 2026
The suspensions also affect Cognizant, Capgemini, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro.
The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and six other technology companies from a federal program that helps foreign workers obtain permanent U.S. residency or green cards, citing allegations that the companies are displacing American workers and abusing the immigration system, Reuters reports.
Vice President JD Vance announced the suspensions on Oct. 8, accusing the companies of misusing the Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, according to the outlet.
The program allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for employment-based green cards after demonstrating that qualified U.S. workers are unavailable for certain positions.
The suspensions also affect Cognizant, Capgemini, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro.
Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department would stop accepting new applications and processing pending labor certifications involving the eight companies.
Vance singled out Microsoft, alleging the company laid off approximately 6,000 American workers while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.
“Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” Vance said.
The H-1B program allows employers to temporarily hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations, while PERM is a step toward obtaining permanent residency.
Microsoft disputed the administration’s allegations, saying approximately 80% of its H-1B filings during the previous fiscal year involved existing employees rather than new hires.
The company also said new employees requiring visa sponsorship represented approximately 1% of its U.S. workforce. Microsoft maintained that foreign workers receive compensation comparable to American employees performing similar jobs.
Reuters reported that the affected companies collectively received more than 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and 100,000 permanent labor certifications since 2009.
The suspensions are part of the administration’s broader efforts to restrict employment-based immigration and prioritize domestic hiring.
The decision could delay permanent residency applications for foreign-born technology professionals whose employers are affected. However, the suspensions do not automatically revoke existing H-1B visas.
The administration has not announced a definitive timeline for reinstating the companies’ access to the program. Vance said the restrictions could remain in place until the companies change their hiring practices.
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