The United States has suspended the green card issuance program for major IT outsourcer Microsoft and software developer Adobe. Simultaneously, authorities have launched investigations into nine leading universities. These steps are part of a broader campaign aimed at combating fraud and protecting American jobs.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has been conducting large-scale measures to reduce the proportion of foreigners in the country and limit their access to residency and citizenship. These simultaneous actions represent the broadest strike against skilled worker immigration programs, which could potentially interrupt the usual path to permanent residency for foreign technical specialists, and place some of the nation's most prestigious research universities under close scrutiny.
US Vice President J. D. Vance stated that 'there is no company in the United States that, unfortunately, abused the system more than Microsoft.' He noted that the company laid off 6,000 American workers last year while utilizing 6,300 H-1B temporary visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Microsoft is the largest applicant in the process of obtaining permanent labor certification (PERM). Under the PERM program, employers must demonstrate that hiring a foreign employee will not harm the wages or jobs of American workers.
The company reported in a statement that about 80% of the H-1B visa applications it submitted in the last fiscal year related to the extension or change of status of existing employees, rather than the hiring of new workers. Furthermore, in July, the company announced the layoff of 4,800 jobs, which accounts for approximately 2.1% of its global workforce.
Labor Secretary Kit Zonderling announced that the suspension also applies to several major global IT outsourcing firms, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCLTech, and Capgemini.
Vance also mentioned that nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), are subject to investigation on charges of J-1 visa fraud. During a press conference, Vance emphasized: 'While we see a lot of H-1B visa fraud, we also see a lot of J-1 visa fraud. And this is where some of America's most elite universities attract foreigners to undermine the wages of American residents. There are now nine universities that we believe deserve an investigation.'