Trump Administration Bars Tech Giants From Green Card Pathway
AI-generated image · US National Wire
Microsoft, Adobe, and several IT firms are suspended from the PERM program amid fraud investigations, leaving skilled foreign workers in limbo.
The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and several major IT firms from the Labor Department's permanent labor certification program, known as PERM. This program is a critical pathway for H-1B visa holders to apply for green cards and permanent residency in the U.S.
According to reporting from Wired and TechCrunch, the companies barred include Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Capgemini, HCL, and Wipro. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling stated the agency is investigating whether these firms committed fraud to undercut American workers. Vice President JD Vance specifically targeted Microsoft, claiming no other company in the U.S. has abused the system more.
Microsoft representative Kaitlin Haskins defended the company, stating Microsoft only files petitions for those meeting "rigorous standards" and that 80% of its 2025 H-1B applications were to extend or change the status of existing employees rather than hiring new staff. Microsoft added that new employee filings represented only 1% of its U.S. workforce.
The move was celebrated by Jobs Now, an advocacy group for U.S. citizens in tech that has filed complaints regarding PERM abuse. The group maintains that every job in America should be offered to a citizen first.
Beyond corporate suspensions, Vice President Vance announced investigations into nine universities—including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford—over allegations of abusing the J-1 visa program to undermine American wages. Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito warned that those who break the law would be held accountable regardless of the institution's prestige.