US Government Halts Green Card Access for Major Tech Firms

WHO:

CNN - Vice President JD Vance

CNN - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

TechCrunch - Companies suspended include Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro.

WHAT:

TechCrunch - The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft from a major immigration program that allows its foreign workers to transfer from an H1B1 visa to a green card, accusing the tech giant of fraud.

ABC News - Vice President JD Vance stated, "This is a great day for American workers, because we are taking some very concrete actions to cut down on some of the H-1B and J-1 visa fraud that we’ve been tracking over the past several months."

Bloomberg Markets - The U.S. tech industry relies heavily on H-1B workers, who earn on average 16% less than their American counterparts, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper.

Bloomberg Markets - In the 2024 fiscal year, 64% of H-1B visa recipients worked in computer-related occupations, according to federal data.

CNN - The Trump administration is indefinitely suspending Microsoft from the Labor Department’s PERM program, accusing the company of fraud and abuse of the H-1B visa program.

ABC News - Vice President JD Vance stated that Microsoft laid off approximately 6,000 American workers last year while employing 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas and benefiting from nearly 3,000 green cards.

ABC News - Vance claimed, "For every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants."

ABC News - The Labor Department is also indefinitely suspending Adobe and several IT outsourcing firms from the PERM program, meaning that any new or pending requests for permanent residency for their workers will not be considered.

TechCrunch - The Trump administration is indefinitely suspending Adobe and several IT outsourcing firms from the PERM program, preventing any new or pending requests for permanent residency for their workers from being considered.

ABC News - Microsoft laid off approximately 6,000 American workers last year while employing 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas and benefiting from nearly 3,000 green cards.

ABC News - Vice President JD Vance stated, "If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants."

TechCrunch - The suspension affects seven companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro.

ABC News - Vice President JD Vance stated that the suspension will "last as long as it needs to" and added that the administration has "a number of tools to suspend it indefinitely" if needed.

ABC News - Vance criticized the H-1B visa program as being "rife with fraud" in recent years, stating it has become problematic over the last several decades.

ABC News - Attorney General Todd Blanche promised that companies will be investigated if they "discriminate against an American worker in favor of someone on the other side of the world."

ABC News - Inspector General of Labor Anthony D'Esposito announced that the Department of Labor is conducting a "historic investigation into the J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities," with investigations already underway.

ABC News - The universities under scrutiny are Harvard; Yale; Stanford; Brown; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of California, Davis; California Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Arizona State University.

ABC News - Vice President JD Vance stated that the suspension will "last as long as it needs to" and added that the administration has "a number of tools to suspend it indefinitely" if needed.

ABC News - Vance criticized the H-1B visa program as being "rife with fraud" in recent years, stating it has become problematic over the last several decades.

ABC News - Attorney General Todd Blanche promised that companies will be investigated if they "discriminate against an American worker in favor of someone on the other side of the world."

CNN - Vice President JD Vance stated, “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused the system more than Microsoft.”

CNN - Vance accused Microsoft of making “representations when applying for this program that are fundamentally illegitimate and therefore ultimately illegal.”

TechCrunch - The suspension affects seven companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro.

CNN - Vice President JD Vance stated that for every worker Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with "one and a half foreign indentured servants."

CNN - The Trump administration plans to investigate several universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, University of California, Davis, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Arizona State University, over allegations of abuse of the J-1 visa program.

CNN - The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft and other companies from seeking permanent residency for foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.

CNN - Microsoft laid off approximately 6,000 American workers while employing 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas.

CNN - The Labor Department is also indefinitely suspending Adobe and several IT outsourcing firms from the PERM program.

NY Post - The suspension prevents Microsoft from transferring foreign workers from H1B1 visas to green cards.

WHERE:

CNN - The actions are being taken by the U.S. government.

WHEN:

CNN - The announcement coincided with a ceremony where President Trump is scheduled to award Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

WHY:

Fast Company - Vance stated that the H-1B program has become “rife with fraud over the last several years—probably the last several decades.”

ABC News - The administration's actions are framed as a crackdown on instances of government “fraud” ahead of the midterm elections, emphasizing the need for fair access to job opportunities for Americans.

CNN - The administration's actions are framed as a crackdown on instances of government “fraud” ahead of the midterm elections.

CNN - The administration's investigation into universities is motivated by claims that they employ foreign workers to undercut salaries for American workers in similar positions.

CNN - The administration accuses Microsoft of abusing the H-1B visa program to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.

CNN - Vice President Vance stated that the program is intended for workers with “hyper-specialized” skill sets that cannot be easily found in the U.S.

CNN - The administration aims to ensure fair access to job opportunities for Americans.

HOW:

Fast Company - The announcements follow an executive order in September that announced a review of the program’s application data, alleging “large-scale, systematic abuse” by companies.

ABC News - Vance did not specify steps for companies to regain access to the PERM program, stating only that it wanted Microsoft and others to “change their behavior, improve their behavior and actually get better.”

ABC News - The investigation into Microsoft was led by an anti-fraud task force chaired by Vice President JD Vance, which determined the allegations against the company.

CNN - The investigation was led by an anti-fraud task force chaired by Vice President JD Vance, which determined the allegations against Microsoft.

CNN - The investigation was led by an anti-fraud task force chaired by Vice President JD Vance.

CNN - The companies are barred from the Labor Department’s PERM program, meaning new or pending requests for permanent residency will not be considered.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 15:04 UTC)

The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft from a significant immigration program that allows foreign workers to transition from an H1B1 visa to a green card, citing accusations of fraud against the tech giant. Vice President JD Vance emphasized that this move is a positive step for American workers, as it aims to address the H-1B and J-1 visa fraud that has been under scrutiny for months. This decision follows an executive order issued in September, which initiated a review of the program's application data due to claims of widespread abuse by companies.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 13:11 UTC)

The Trump administration has indefinitely suspended Microsoft from the Labor Department’s PERM program, citing allegations of fraud and abuse related to the H-1B visa program. Vice President JD Vance highlighted that Microsoft laid off around 6,000 American workers last year while employing over 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas, claiming that for every American worker laid off, the company replaced them with one and a half foreign workers. The Labor Department has also taken similar actions against Adobe and several IT outsourcing firms, with Vance stating that companies need to "change their behavior" to regain access to the program.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 10:02 UTC)

The Trump administration has announced an indefinite suspension of Adobe and several IT outsourcing firms from the PERM program, halting any new or pending requests for permanent residency for their workers. This decision follows an investigation led by Vice President JD Vance, who highlighted that Microsoft laid off around 6,000 American workers while employing over 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas and obtaining nearly 3,000 green cards. Vance emphasized the administration's commitment to ensuring fair access to job opportunities for Americans, framing these actions as a necessary crackdown on government fraud ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 04:07 UTC)

In a significant move, the administration has suspended the H-1B visa program for seven major companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, and Tata, with Vice President JD Vance stating that this suspension could last indefinitely if necessary. Vance criticized the program as "rife with fraud" and highlighted ongoing investigations into potential discrimination against American workers. Additionally, the Department of Labor is conducting a historic investigation into J-1 visa fraud involving nine prominent universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, with inquiries already in progress.

(UPDATED October 8, 2026 23:00 UTC)

Vice President JD Vance announced that the suspension of the H-1B visa program will "last as long as it needs to," emphasizing that the administration has the ability to extend it indefinitely if necessary. He also criticized the program for being "rife with fraud" over the years, highlighting its growing issues. Meanwhile, Attorney General Todd Blanche assured that companies will face investigations if they discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign employees, while the Department of Labor is conducting a "historic investigation into the J-1 visa fraud" involving nine major American universities.

(UPDATED October 8, 2026 19:06 UTC)

Vice President JD Vance has accused Microsoft of being the most egregious abuser of the system in the United States, claiming the company made fundamentally illegitimate representations when applying for a government program. This investigation, led by an anti-fraud task force chaired by Vance, has resulted in the suspension of seven companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, and Infosys, as part of a broader crackdown on government fraud ahead of the midterm elections. Vance's statements highlight the administration's commitment to addressing these serious allegations against major corporations.

(UPDATED October 8, 2026 18:01 UTC)

Vice President JD Vance has made a striking statement, claiming that for every worker Microsoft laid off, the company replaced them with "one and a half foreign indentured servants." In response to allegations that several universities, including Harvard and Stanford, are abusing the J-1 visa program to undercut American salaries, the Trump administration plans to launch an investigation into these institutions. This inquiry aims to address concerns that foreign workers are being employed in ways that negatively impact American workers in similar roles.

(UPDATED October 8, 2026 17:12 UTC)

The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft and several other companies from the H-1B visa program, preventing them from seeking permanent residency for foreign workers. This decision, which includes companies like Adobe and various IT outsourcing firms, comes after Microsoft laid off around 6,000 American workers while employing over 6,300 non-citizens on H-1B visas. The announcement coincided with a ceremony where President Trump is set to award Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, as Vice President JD Vance emphasizes the need to protect job opportunities for Americans.