Trump Suspends Microsoft, Adobe and Six Other Tech Giants from Green-Card Program

The Trump administration on October 8, 2026 announced an abrupt suspension of eight major IT firms; including Microsoft and Adobe; from the federal PERM labor‑certification program, the primary route by which U.S. employers petition to sponsor foreign workers for green cards. Vice President J.D. Vance said the Department of Labor will immediately stop processing PERM applications from the named companies. The move severs a critical, legally prescribed pathway for tens of thousands of foreign‑born tech workers seeking permanent residency, raising immediate hiring and retention risks for affected firms and threatening wider disruption across the U.S. technology sector and labor market. Legal challenges and industry pushback are expected, while employers and employees scramble for alternative immigration strategies as the policy takes effect.