{
  "id": 12931386,
  "title": "US freezes green card applications from Microsoft, major IT firms over alleged fraud",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-freezes-green-card-applications-from-microsoft-major-it-firms-over-12931386",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T19:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20261009/us-freezes-green-card-applications-from-microsoft-major-it-firms-over-alleged-fraud"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Trump administration has frozen green-card applications from major U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft and Adobe, as part of a crackdown on alleged immigration fraud, according to Vice President JD Vance. The freeze also includes probes into nine prestigious universities, widening the visa crackdown aimed at protecting American jobs. This broad action against skilled-worker immigration programs could potentially bar foreign tech workers from obtaining permanent residency in the United States.\n\nVice President Vance claimed that Microsoft was the worst offender, having laid off 6,000 American workers in the previous year while still benefiting from 6,300 H-1B temporary worker visas and nearly 3,000 green cards. The administration's announcement regarding the permanent labor certification process, known as PERM, was made shortly before President Trump was scheduled to award Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.\n\nUnder the PERM process, employers must demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker is necessary, as it is a requirement for most employment-based green cards. The administration's actions come as they seek to protect American jobs and combat what they perceive as abuse of the immigration system.",
  "summary": "WASHINGTON — The Trump administration froze on Thursday some green-card filings by Microsoft, Adobe and major IT outsourcers and opened probes into nine top universities, widening a visa crackdown it says targets fraud and protects American jobs. The twin actions mark the broadest strike yet against skilled-worker immigration programs — potentially cutting off a common path to permanent residency…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "The US suspends Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, and others from a program that lets skilled foreign workers gain permanent residency, citing alleged fraud (Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff/Reuters)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/the-us-suspends-microsoft-adobe-cognizant-infosys-and-others-from-a",
        "published": "2026-10-08T14:55:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Microsoft, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL and Capgemini hit by US H-1B, green card crackdown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/microsoft-infosys-tata-wipro-cognizant-hcl-and-capgemini-hit-by-us-h",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:21:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "US suspends Microsoft, major IT firms from key green card programme",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-suspends-microsoft-major-it-firms-from-key-green-card-programme",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:45:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "US suspends Microsoft, major IT firms from green card programme",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-suspends-microsoft-major-it-firms-from-green-card-programme",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:50:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Microsoft suspended from applying for green cards for H-1B workers, JD Vance says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/microsoft-suspended-from-applying-for-green-cards-for-h-1b-workers-jd",
        "published": "2026-10-08T16:40:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "US freezes green card applications from Microsoft, major IT firms over alleged fraud",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-freezes-green-card-applications-from-microsoft-major-it-firms-over",
        "published": "2026-10-08T18:52:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "US Suspends Microsoft and Other IT Firms From Green Card Programme",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-suspends-microsoft-and-other-it-firms-from-green-card-programme",
        "published": "2026-10-08T22:07:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}