The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata and Wipro from a program that helps skilled foreign workers obtain permanent residency, accusing the companies of fraud. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the government will not accept new or pending permanent labor certification applications involving them.
Vice President JD Vance announced the move on Thursday, calling Microsoft "a great American company" that must "hire great American workers." He added that the administration will investigate nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, over alleged abuse of a student program that may undermine American wages.
Microsoft said most of its U.S. employees are Americans. Of about 6,000 H-1B applications last fiscal year, 80% extended or changed the status of existing staff, and new-hire filings equal about 1% of its U.S. workforce. Nearly three-quarters of approved H-1B visas go to workers from India.