The US government is suspending Microsoft, Adobe and several major IT services firms from the PERM labour certification process used to sponsor green cards, according to Al Jazeera. Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the move at a White House news conference on Thursday 8 October 2026. This PERM suspension could leave tens of thousands of foreign workers waiting longer, the report says, though no policy text has been published.
In this report
- What was announced
- The claims and the pushback
- Who is most exposed
- What happens next
- PERM suspension: common questions
What was announced
Per Al Jazeera, the US will not process new or pending PERM applications involving the named companies, and Vance said the suspensions would last “as long as it needs to”. Al Jazeera lists Microsoft and Adobe (US), Capgemini (France), and Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies (India). It says Meta, Amazon and Google are not affected. A second Al Jazeera report describes the action as a suspension from the H-1B programme and adds that a separate J-1 visa fraud crackdown targets nine universities. The two reports describe the programme differently and neither links to an official document, so the precise legal scope is unconfirmed.
The claims and the pushback
Vance said Microsoft laid off 6,000 US workers while obtaining 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards, and the Labor Department said it had uncovered $22bn in visa fraud, according to Al Jazeera. Microsoft disputed the claims in a blog post, saying 80% of its visas were to extend or change the status of existing employees. Al Jazeera notes it could not see how the $22bn figure was calculated. India’s Ministry of External Affairs criticised the suspension and Vance’s comments, the report says. These are the administration’s allegations, not findings tested in court.
Who is most exposed
The people at the centre are foreign workers on temporary visas, such as H-1B holders, whose employers have started the green card process. Al Jazeera reports that Indian nationals make up about 79% of the roughly 1.25 million-person green card backlog. Picture an Indian software engineer whose employer filed PERM last year: if that employer is on the list, the case may simply stop moving while the suspension lasts. Workers at companies not named appear unaffected for now, though that is not guaranteed.
The move lands on top of earlier changes covered here, including the court ruling on the $100,000 H-1B fee and the revised public charge assessment.
What happens next
Watch for the text of any order, a Labor Department notice on PERM processing, and legal challenges. Until then, affected workers should ask their employer’s immigration counsel whether the company is covered and keep copies of filed paperwork. You can test your own options with our visa eligibility checker. For official programme details see the Labor Department PERM page.
PERM suspension: common questions
What is PERM?
Permanent Labor Certification, the Labor Department step many employers must complete before sponsoring a worker for an employment-based green card.
Which companies are named?
Al Jazeera lists Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL Technologies, and says Meta, Amazon and Google are not affected.
Is the suspension in force now?
Al Jazeera describes it as already announced but gives no effective date and links no official text, so details remain unconfirmed.
Does Microsoft agree with the allegations?
No. Microsoft disputed them in a blog post, saying most of its filings were for existing employees.
What should affected workers do?
Check with the employer’s immigration lawyers, keep records, and watch for official Labor Department or USCIS notices.
More on this topic: Australia student visa reform and the US $750 expedited visa interview pilot.
