IBM stops visa and green card help for most consulting jobs

IBM will stop sponsoring U.S. visas and green cards for most jobs inside its consulting division. The change affects IBM Consulting, a unit with more than 1,50,000 workers.

Impact

Workers who lose sponsorship must choose between moving to an IBM office outside the U.S. or leaving the company by the end of the year. A company spokesperson said that IBM used these visa programs in the past to deal with shortages of skilled workers, but participation has dropped over the years. The shift also follows changes in client needs and skill availability.

Context

This decision arrives during a time of strict government watch on foreign tech hiring in the U.S. Major tech firms and outsourcers have recently faced suspensions from key green card processes, while high visa fees have also been introduced.