US Suspends Microsoft From Green Card Programme; Tata, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys Also Targeted

The Donald Trump administration has suspended Microsoft from a US programme that allows companies to seek green cards for foreign workers, citing alleged fraud and escalating its scrutiny of the H-1B visa system.

The move also affects several other major technology and consulting companies, including Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Infosys Ltd., Tata, Wipro Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd. and Capgemini SE.

‘Americans First’ Message To Microsoft

US Vice President JD Vance announced the decision during a White House briefing on Thursday, saying Microsoft must prioritise American workers.

“Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” Vance said, according to Reuters.

Vance also sharply criticised Microsoft, claiming that no other US company had “abused” the green card system to a greater extent.

The programme requires companies to advertise jobs in the US before applying to the Department of Labor for permanent labour certification. Employers must demonstrate that qualified American workers are not available for the positions before seeking green cards for foreign employees.

Microsoft Layoffs, H-1B Visas Under Scrutiny

Vance alleged that Microsoft laid off around 6,000 American workers last year while obtaining approximately 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.

“If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants,” Vance said.

The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire foreign workers for specialised occupations. In many employment-based green card cases, companies must first obtain labour certification from the Department of Labor, confirming that there are no qualified, willing and available US workers for the position.

Other Tech Firms Facing Green Card Restrictions

US Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the administration would also suspend the Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, for several other companies.

The companies named include Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Infosys Ltd., Tata, Wipro Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd. and Capgemini SE.

Sonderling said multiple federal investigations into the companies were ongoing.

“We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labor certification applications involving these companies,” he was quoted as saying.

The latest action marks another escalation in the Trump administration’s broader push to tighten scrutiny of employment-based immigration programmes and prioritise the hiring of American workers.