The US government has suspended several leading IT firms, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro and more, from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme, alleging that the firms were abusing the immigration system. Here’s everything you need to know about this programme, which lets companies apply for employment-based Green Cards for eligible foreign workers.
US Suspends 8 Companies From Green Card Programme
The Trump administration has now stepped up scrutiny of the immigration process in the US. In a major move on October 8, 2026, it suspended eight technology companies from a federal labour certification programme used to secure employment-based Green Cards for foreign workers. According to The Economic Times, these companies are Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe.
The decision was announced by Vice President JD Vance, Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling and Attorney General Todd Blanche under the US Anti-Fraud Task Force. Under this decision, the US Department of Labour will not accept new permanent labour certification applications involving these companies. Moreover, it will not process their pending applications either. The suspension is expected to affect many Indian workers, as a large number of H-1B visa holders are from India.
Also Read: 179-Year Wait For US Green Card? Why 1 Million Indian Applicants Are Facing Delay
Why Has The US Suspended These 8 Companies?
But what’s the reason behind this major decision? According to NDTV, the US government alleges that the companies’ applications for Green Cards disadvantage American employees. The government has claimed that, since 2009, these companies have requested almost three million foreign workers. They have received over 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and more than 100,000 permanent labour certifications. Officials have also accused the companies of taking away hundreds of thousands of jobs from American workers by giving preference to foreign workers.
Reportedly, Vice President JD Vance also criticised Microsoft and stated that the company had abused the immigration system. In 2025, Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers while receiving approvals for more than 6,000 H-1B visas and filing 3,682 PERM applications. Nearly 1,000 applications were reportedly for the same positions held by American workers who were laid off.
The increased scrutiny has also extended to American universities. JD Vance announced an investigation into the use of the J-1 visa programme for research scholars at nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford.
Also Read: ₹98 Lakh For H-1B Visa Fee? How Will The US Visa Proposal Affect Indians?
What are your thoughts on this new decision? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
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FAQs
What is a US Green Card?
A US Green Card allows a foreign national to live and work permanently in the United States.