Trump administration suspends Microsoft, Adobe and other tech firms from green card program

The Trump administration has barred Microsoft, Adobe and several other technology companies from the PERM program for foreign workers over alleged fraud.

• Vice President JD Vance announced the indefinite suspension of the companies from the Labor Department's PERM program following an anti-fraud investigation.
• The administration said the probe found Microsoft laid off roughly 6,000 American workers last year while hiring 6,300 H-1B visa holders.
• Vance alleged the companies misrepresented their needs in residency applications to replace American workers with cheaper immigrant labor.
• Officials announced plans to investigate nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, over alleged J-1 visa abuse.
• Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said no new or pending permanent labor certification applications would be processed at Adobe.
• Immigration advocacy groups argued the program benefits the US economy by attracting global talent.
• Vice President JD Vance accused the tech firms of hiring 'foreign indentured servants' in charging them with defrauding the visa program.
• Microsoft defended its practices, stating that 80% of its H-1B filings concern existing employees and that it pays international workers equally.
• The administration proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period for laid-off visa holders under broader visa-rule tightening.