Trump gives top US science awards to Elon Musk and other tech executives

On Thursday, the US government announced it would suspend some of the world’s leading tech and IT firms from participating in a key green card program. This includes major companies like Microsoft, Cognizant, and Capgemini, among others. The suspension is due to alleged fraud, with officials claiming employers are using the program to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.

This move is part of the Trump administration's efforts to crackdown on skilled foreign labor, following previous actions such as imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. The program, called the Permanent Labor Certification or PERM, allows US employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. It requires the Labor Department to certify that there aren't enough qualified American workers available for a job and that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively impact American wages or working conditions.

Many IT firms rely on PERM to bring in skilled workers after they've initially entered the country on temporary visas like the H-1B. Without PERM, these workers would have to remain on temporary visas, limiting their options for permanent residency. While the suspension does not directly affect current H-1B visa holders, some experts warn that such policies could make the US less competitive for highly skilled foreign talent and encourage them to work abroad instead.