Trump administration bars Microsoft and Adobe from key green-card program

The Trump administration said on October 8, 2026, that it would suspend Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys and Tata from a key employment-based pathway to permanent U.S. residency. The action targets the Labor Department’s PERM program while officials investigate alleged fraud, interrupting a process some foreign workers use to seek green cards.

A residency restriction, not a clarified visa ban

PERM is the department’s permanent labor certification program. It requires employers to show that no suitable American workers are available for the permanent job being offered. That certification is a key step toward permanent residency for some workers holding H-1B visas; it is not the same thing as an H-1B visa application.

The restriction reaches applications already in the system, not just future filings. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department would not accept new or process pending permanent labor certification applications involving the affected employers, according to TechCrunch. That puts pending cases within the suspension’s scope.

Whether the announcement also affects employees’ ability to apply for H-1B visas remains unclear. WIRED sought clarification from the Labor Department and the vice president’s office but received no immediate response. The confirmed restriction concerns permanent labor certification; the broader visa question was still unresolved when WIRED published.

Officials allege abuse and demand a change

Sonderling said the agency is investigating whether the companies committed fraud and undercut American workers by hiring foreign employees. Those accusations are the stated basis for an investigation, not established findings. At Thursday’s press conference, Vice President JD Vance singled out Microsoft, accusing it of abusing the system more than any other U.S. company.

We’re going to continue to support Microsoft and have a great relationship with Microsoft, but we’re also going to deny them the ability to apply for these permanent residencies until they show that they are going to get serious about putting American workers first.

Vice President JD Vance, at the October 8 press conference

Microsoft points to workers already here

Microsoft’s response focused on its workforce and H-1B filings. In a statement to TechCrunch, the company said the vast majority of its U.S. employees are Americans and that it looks forward to providing the administration with additional information. It also said it files petitions only for people meeting the visa category’s standards.

The company said 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B applications in the last fiscal year sought extensions or status changes for existing employees, rather than new hires. The remaining filings covered people already legally in the United States who chose to join Microsoft, representing 1% of its U.S. workforce.

Microsoft also said it pays H-1B employees the same as other employees doing comparable work. Its defense addresses who it hires and how it pays them, while the administration’s action restricts access to permanent labor certification. Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys and Tata did not immediately respond to WIRED’s requests for comment.