The U.S. government has suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several other large IT firms from the PERM green-card labor program, citing multiple active federal investigations. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling and Vice President J.D. Vance announced the move and accused the companies of abusing the program, which lets employers sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.
The Department of Labor will not accept new PERM applications from the companies or process their pending applications. Employers must show that no qualified, available U.S. workers could fill a role before sponsoring a foreign worker for an employment-based green card.
Officials alleged that Microsoft, a major H-1B employer, has replaced American workers with foreign employees. The suspension’s duration has not been specified.