US Bars Microsoft, Adobe and Major IT Outsourcers from PERM Green‑Card Programme

The United States announced Thursday that Microsoft, Adobe and six major IT outsourcing firms are being barred from the PERM green‑card certification programme amid fraud allegations and a push to increase hiring of American workers. Vice‑President J.D. Vance told reporters that while Microsoft is a great American company, it must hire great American workers. Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the suspension also covers Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. He added that no new or pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies will be accepted or processed. Microsoft has not yet responded to a request for comment. The PERM process requires employers to certify that no qualified, willing U.S. worker is available for a specific job, a prerequisite for most employment‑based green‑card petitions. Vance also announced investigations into nine universities, naming Harvard, Yale and Stanford, for allegedly using international students to suppress American wages. Labour Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito confirmed subpoenas have been served to the institutions. He warned that foreign influence, improper financial ties or visa abuse could jeopardise federally funded research. D'Esposito said saving a dollar at the cost of exposing research to a foreign adversary would be institutional betrayal rather than academic excellence. ## Context The PERM programme is a key gateway for skilled foreign professionals to obtain U.S. permanent residency. Suspending major tech firms and probing elite universities signals a broader government effort to protect domestic jobs and secure research from foreign interference.