US Suspends Green Card Applications for Major Tech Companies

The Trump administration has recently halted the processing of certain employment-based green card applications, particularly those involving major technology firms. This action is part of a broader crackdown on immigration for skilled workers. The US Labor Department has ceased accepting new PERM applications, which are required for most employment-based green cards.

PERM stands for Permanent Labor Certification, a process employers must complete to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely impact the wages or job opportunities of US workers.

Microsoft leads the list of affected companies with the highest number of PERM applications filed. During the vice president's recent comments, JD Vance accused Microsoft of exploiting the system. He pointed out that Microsoft had laid off 6,000 American workers in the past year while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.

Microsoft responded by stating that a majority of its H-1B filings were for extensions or status changes for existing employees, rather than new hires. Additionally, the company's H-1B workers receive the same pay as their counterparts in comparable roles.

Moreover, Microsoft announced in July that it would be cutting 4,800 jobs, accounting for approximately 2.1% of its global workforce. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling revealed that the affected companies have sought nearly three million foreign workers since 2009, resulting in over 230,000 H-1B approvals and over 100,000 permanent labor certifications.

Amazon emerged as the largest employer of H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Apple, and Microsoft. Vice President JD Vance has maintained that these suspensions will remain in place for as long as deemed necessary. He further alleged that some companies post ineffective job advertisements in an attempt to claim they cannot find suitable applicants while hiring lower-paid foreign workers.

This move is part of a wider initiative by the administration to crack down on skilled-worker programs. In September of the previous year, the Labor Department initiated Project Firewall, and the White House imposed a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions for foreign workers.

The administration has also launched investigations into nine prominent US universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, over suspicions of misuse of exchange-visitor visas to undercut American wages. These universities have been scrutinized for potential financial relationships and visa abuse affecting federally funded research.