In a sweeping assertion of economic nationalism, the Trump administration has frozen green card filings for some of the world's most prominent technology employers — among them Microsoft, Adobe, and major Indian IT firms — while simultaneously opening investigations into elite universities over alleged visa misuse. The action targets the PERM labor certification process, the standard bridge between temporary and permanent residency for skilled foreign workers, and signals a shift from selective enforcement to categorical suspension. Behind the policy language lies a human reality: thousands of
Trump administration freezes green card filings for Microsoft, Adobe and major tech firms
Thousands of foreign tech workers may be blocked from pursuing permanent residency in the United States.
You've got to hire great American workers
Mark
So what exactly does this freeze do? Does it mean these workers lose their jobs tomorrow?
Mimi
No, not immediately. If you're already on an H-1B visa working for Microsoft or Infosys, you keep working. The freeze blocks the next step—the green card application. It's like locking the door to permanent residency.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: the freeze is on PERM applications specifically. That's the labor certification process. There might be other pathways to a green card, though they're less common for tech workers.
Mark
How many people are we talking about?
Mimi
The source doesn't give a total number, but it says "thousands." These are workers already in the US on temporary visas, waiting to apply for permanent status. The suspension blocks that path entirely.
Luke
And we don't know how long the freeze lasts. Is it permanent? Temporary? The reporting doesn't say. That's a real gap.
Mark
What about the universities? That seems like a separate issue.
Mimi
It is, but the administration is treating it as part of the same problem—using visa programs to bring in workers or students who undercut American wages. Nine universities are under investigation for allegedly misusing J-1 exchange-visitor visas.
Luke
The key word there is "allegedly." Subpoenas have been served, but we don't have findings yet. This is an investigation, not a determination of wrongdoing.
Mark
Why does this matter beyond the people directly affected?
Mimi
Because these companies and universities are central to how the US tech and research sectors operate. If you can't sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency, you either hire only Americans or you move operations elsewhere.
Luke
Though we should note: the source doesn't include any statement from the companies or universities defending themselves or explaining their hiring practices. We're getting one side of the story here.
Il Polso
- The administration has frozen PERM labor certification filings for Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, and Capgemini — cutting off the primary route to permanent residency for thousands of H-1B workers mid-journey.
- Nine elite universities including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are now under federal investigation, accused of exploiting J-1 exchange-visitor visas to suppress American wages, with subpoenas already served.
- Vice President JD Vance distilled the administration's posture bluntly, telling Microsoft it must prioritise American workers — framing a structural immigration overhaul as a matter of national loyalty.
- The freeze does not immediately cancel existing H-1B visas, but it severs the pipeline that converts temporary status into permanence, leaving workers in legal limbo with no clear resolution in sight.
- This escalation builds on Project Firewall and a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions, marking the broadest and most consequential strike yet against skilled-worker immigration infrastructure.
In a sweeping assertion of economic nationalism, the Trump administration has frozen green card filings for some of the world's most prominent technology employers — among them Microsoft, Adobe, and major Indian IT firms — while simultaneously opening investigations into elite universities over alleged visa misuse. The action targets the PERM labor certification process, the standard bridge between temporary and permanent residency for skilled foreign workers, and signals a shift from selective enforcement to categorical suspension. Behind the policy language lies a human reality: thousands of foreign nationals who built careers and lives within the American system now face profound uncertainty about whether that system will honour its implicit promise.
The Trump administration has frozen green card filings from some of the world's largest technology employers, in what represents its most expansive action yet against the skilled-worker immigration programs that have long defined the US tech industry's global recruitment model.
Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini are now barred from filing or processing applications through the Labor Department's PERM program — the required certification step for most employment-based green cards. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension, while Vice President JD Vance offered a pointed summary of the administration's intent: American companies must hire American workers.
The freeze does not immediately strip H-1B holders of their temporary work status, but it dismantles the standard pathway by which companies sponsor those workers toward permanent residency. Indian IT firms have historically been among the heaviest users of H-1B visas, and the suspension places thousands of workers — many already deep in the PERM pipeline — in a state of acute uncertainty.
Simultaneously, the administration launched investigations into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, and MIT, alleging misuse of J-1 exchange-visitor visas to bring in international students at wages that undercut American workers. Federal subpoenas have already been served.
The actions extend a campaign that began with Project Firewall and a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions. Together, they mark a decisive turn from case-by-case scrutiny toward categorical suspension — leaving thousands of foreign tech workers to wonder whether the permanent residency they have long been working toward will ever be within reach.
The Trump administration has moved to freeze green card applications from some of the world's largest technology employers, marking its most sweeping action yet against the skilled-worker visa programs that have long anchored the US tech industry's international recruitment strategy.
Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini will no longer be able to file or process pending applications through the Labor Department's permanent labor certification program, known as PERM. This certification is a required step for most employment-based green cards. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension, stating the department would reject any new applications or continue processing existing ones from these firms. Vice President JD Vance framed the action in direct terms, telling Microsoft: "You're a great American company, but you've got to hire great American workers."
The freeze does not immediately affect workers already holding H-1B visas, which permit companies to employ foreign nationals on a temporary basis. But it effectively blocks what has become a standard pathway: companies sponsor H-1B workers for permanent residency by moving them through the PERM process. Indian IT firms—Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, and HCL—have historically been among the heaviest users of H-1B visas. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, Amazon was the largest employer of approved H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Apple, and Microsoft. The suspension could affect thousands of foreign workers currently seeking to transition from temporary to permanent status.
The administration simultaneously opened investigations into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, and MIT, accusing them of misusing J-1 exchange-visitor visas to bring in international students while undercutting American wages. Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito said subpoenas had already been served. Vance characterized the university probe as part of the same enforcement philosophy: protecting American workers from wage suppression.
These actions represent an escalation of a campaign that began in September of the previous year, when the Labor Department launched an enforcement initiative called Project Firewall. That same period saw a White House proclamation impose a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions for workers hired from abroad. The PERM program itself requires employers to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will not harm the wages, working conditions, or employment opportunities of American workers. Approved applications then move to US Citizenship and Immigration Services for final processing.
Most of the companies targeted did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tata Consultancy Services declined to comment. The freeze signals a fundamental shift in how the administration intends to manage skilled-worker immigration, moving from case-by-case scrutiny to categorical suspension of major employers and institutions. For thousands of foreign tech workers in the pipeline—those on H-1B visas waiting to apply for permanent residency, or those whose applications are pending—the freeze introduces substantial uncertainty about whether that transition will ever be possible.
Citazioni salienti
You're a great American company, but you've got to hire great American workers— Vice President JD Vance, addressing Microsoft
We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies— Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su The Canberra Times ↗
Politics & Governance