Vice President JD Vance announced that Microsoft, Adobe, and outsourcing firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini have been barred from the PERM labor certification program amid allegations of fraud and abuse. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said Microsoft and Adobe's PERM privileges were suspended due to multiple active federal investigations, meaning no new or pending applications will be processed. Vance claimed Microsoft laid off 6,000 workers while receiving 6,300 H-1B approvals and nearly 3,000 green cards, with roughly 1,000 of its 3,682 PERM filings overlapping with laid-off positions.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-08
The U.S. Department of Labor said it will stop accepting new applications under its Permanent Labor Certification program for Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro and HCL. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said Microsoft and Adobe were suspended due to multiple active federal investigations, and cited figures showing the companies have collectively sought millions of foreign worker visas since 2009. Vice President JD Vance separately criticized Microsoft over 2025 layoffs, saying the company would be barred from the program until it prioritizes American workers.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-08
The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro from a permanent labor certification program used to secure green cards for skilled foreign workers, citing alleged fraud. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the government will stop accepting new or pending applications tied to these companies, and Vice President JD Vance said the move targets firms he says should be hiring American workers instead. Vance also said the administration will investigate nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, over alleged misuse of programs for international students.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-08
The Department of Homeland Security announced a new fee of over $103,000 for H-1B visas, a slight increase from a similar $100,000 fee a federal judge struck down in June after more than 70 employers had already paid it. The same day, the State Department revealed plans to revoke visas for up to 200,000 asylum seekers, described as potentially the largest mass visa revocation in US history. DHS has also signaled it may impose a comparable $100,000 fee on the Optional Practical Training program, which allows international students to work in the US after graduation.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-25
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