Trump bars Microsoft, Adobe from green card program
Original: US bars Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT firms from green card program for skilled foreign workers
Why This Matters
H-1B suspensions directly affect tech hiring pipelines and global workforce strategies.
The Trump administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro from the PERM labor certification program on Oct. 8, 2026, citing fraud allegations against the companies.
The Trump administration is blocking several major tech and IT firms — including Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro — from the PERM program, which allows employers to sponsor skilled foreign workers for permanent U.S. residency. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the government will reject all new and pending permanent labor certification applications tied to these companies.
VP JD Vance framed the move as a push to prioritize American workers. "Our message to Microsoft is: You're a great American company, but you've got to hire great American workers," he said at a Thursday press conference.
Microsoft pushed back, stating that 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B filings last fiscal year were extensions or status changes for existing employees — not new hires. The remaining new-employee filings represented just 1% of its total U.S. workforce, the company said, adding that all H-1B workers receive pay equal to comparable American employees.
Nearly three-quarters of approved H-1B visas go to workers from India, per the Associated Press. Vance also announced investigations into nine universities — including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford — over alleged abuse of international student programs. Adobe did not respond to comment requests.