US President Donald Trump.
The companies named in the October 8 order are Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.
The US Department of Labor said it would neither accept new Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) applications involving these firms nor process pending ones. JD Vance said it would continue “as long as it needs to”. The US administration has suspended eight major technology companies from the employment-based green card process, leaving thousands of foreign professionals, including Indian IT workers, facing uncertainty over their permanent residency plans. The administration has cited alleged abuse of employment-based immigration programmes and the need to protect American workers. US Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of laying off American workers while seeking H-1B approvals and green cards for foreign employees. Cognizant had also faced a suspension of its US green card filings in September amid a probe into possible visa fraud. The duration of the suspension remains uncertain. The affected companies could also challenge the decision in federal court. The impact on individual workers will depend on the status of their immigration cases and the length of the suspension.