Trump administration blocks Microsoft and other tech firms from H-1B green card program

On October 8, 2026, the Trump administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and major outsourcing firms like Cognizant and Infosys from the PERM green card program. Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of severe visa abuse, stating the company laid off 6,000 American workers while securing 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards. Additionally, the Department of Labor has subpoenaed elite universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, over allegations of using international students to undercut domestic wages.

Suspension of tech firms

• ▪Vice President JD Vance cited alleged fraud as the reason for suspending Microsoft from the PERM permanent residency program on October 8, 2026
• ▪Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the Trump administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCO, and Capgemini from the PERM program on October 8, 2026, blocking green cards for H-1B visa holders

Accusations of visa abuse against Microsoft

• ▪Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of being the worst abuser of the visa system, alleging the company used the green card pathway to hire cheap foreign labor and undercut American wages
• ▪Vice President JD Vance stated that Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers in the preceding year while simultaneously applying for and benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards

Stance on hiring American workers

• ▪Vice President JD Vance stated during an October 8, 2026 news conference that the Trump administration is targeting companies that replace laid-off American employees with foreign workers
• ▪Vice President JD Vance stated that the Trump administration wants the American technology sector to thrive and invest in the United States, but insists that corporations must hire American workers

Investigation into universities over international students

• ▪Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito served subpoenas as part of the federal investigation into universities allegedly using international students to undercut American wages
• ▪The Trump administration launched investigations into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, on October 8, 2026, for allegedly bringing in international students to undercut American wages

Debatable claims

• ▪The US government should prioritize domestic hiring over importing foreign tech talent
• ▪Laying off domestic workers while hiring H-1B visa holders constitutes visa abuse
• ▪The suspension of Microsoft from the PERM program is justified
• ▪The H-1B visa system undercuts American wages