On October 8, 2026, Vice President JD Vance announced that the U.S. government is suspending Microsoft, Adobe and six IT services companies from the Labor Department's PERM program, according to news reports. The other companies named are Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini.
This is not a ban on H-1B visas. The H-1B program is still open, and existing H-1B visas and work permission are not cancelled.
What is PERM? It is the labor certification step that employers usually complete before they sponsor a worker for a green card. Our guide to the PERM process explains it in plain words. According to reports, the Labor Department will not accept new PERM applications from the named companies and has stopped work on their pending cases. No end date was given.
Why was it done? Vance said Microsoft laid off American workers while receiving thousands of H-1B visas and green cards, and officials said the companies face investigations. Microsoft disputes the claims and says most of its H-1B filings last year were for people it already employs. These are claims by the administration, not court findings.
What it means for you: if you work for one of these companies and your green card process depends on a pending PERM case, it may be delayed. If you work somewhere else, nothing changed because of this announcement. Ask your employer or an immigration lawyer about your own case.
Rules can change quickly. This is general information, not legal advice.