Microsoft · JD Vance · Donald Trump · Tom's Hardware
U.S. suspends green card path for H-1B workers at Microsoft and Adobe, labor certification program blocked due to alleged fraud
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◎ Multiple-sources
During a Thursday announcement, Vice President JD Vance said that well-known tech companies Microsoft and Adobe are now blocked out of the PERM program, one of the possible paths for the firms' H-1B workers to eventually evolve to green card status.
Key facts
- According to the National Foundation for American Policy and reported estimates, Amazon had the most approved H-1Bs in fiscal year 2025 with 4,644 visas, followed by Meta at 1,555, Microsoft
- According to Vance, Microsoft fired 6,000 workers while simultaneously benefiting from 6,300 H-1B approvals and nearly 3,000 green cards
- The VP said the company filed 3,682 PERM applications, 1,000 of which were for positions that seemingly overlapped with those of laid-off workers
- Last July, the Labor Department launched a nationwide investigation into fraud and human trafficking in H-1B and PERM programs
Summary
The administration is not going to process any new or pending Permanent Labor Certification applications for the companies. According to Vance, Microsoft fired 6,000 workers while simultaneously benefiting from 6,300 H-1B approvals and nearly 3,000 green cards. A move so swift and harsh is unusual, but it comes against a backdrop of the U.S. government putting a tighter grip on the H-1B program. In September, President Trump signed an executive order aiming to curb abuse of the H-1B program.