The Trump administration said it was freezing some green-card labor certification filings for Microsoft, Adobe and several large IT services firms, according to Reuters’ report. The White House also posted a video page for Vice President JD Vance’s October 8 press conference on fighting visa fraud. AP reported that Vance said Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers last year while also obtaining 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards.
Microsoft said in a statement that about 80% of its H-1B filings in the last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees. Reuters reported that the Labor Department said it would not accept or process new or pending permanent labor certification applications involving Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. The supplied sources do not identify whether any company-specific filings were affected beyond the firms named in those reports.
The supplied sources do not say the government changed H-1B rules, and they do not say any company’s permanent-residency pipeline was fully halted. They do show a narrower procedural move: the Labor Department said it would not accept or process new or pending permanent labor certification applications for the listed firms.
What the administration said
According to Reuters, the administration froze some green-card filings by Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT outsourcers on October 8. The report described the measure as tied to alleged fraud and American job losses. The White House’s event page identified the session as Vice President JD Vance’s press conference on fighting visa fraud.
AP reported that Vance framed the issue by pointing to Microsoft’s workforce and immigration numbers, saying the company laid off 6,000 American workers last year while also obtaining 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards. The supplied sources do not state whether those figures were presented as the sole basis for the action or as part of a broader argument.
What Microsoft said
Microsoft’s statement, as quoted by AP, said about 80% of its H-1B filings in the last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees. That statement addressed H-1B filings, not the permanent labor certification filings Reuters said were frozen. The supplied sources do not say Microsoft addressed every company named in the Labor Department action, and they do not provide a broader company response beyond that quoted statement.
The distinction matters because the reported government action concerns permanent labor certification applications, while Microsoft’s quoted explanation concerns a separate visa category. The supplied sources do not say the labor-certification freeze automatically changed all H-1B filings, and they do not say the company’s cited share applies to any firm other than Microsoft.
Who is affected
Based on the supplied reporting, the immediate affected group is skilled foreign workers seeking permanent residency through PERM at Microsoft, Adobe, and the listed IT services firms. Reuters said the Labor Department would not accept or process new or pending permanent labor certification applications involving Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini.
The supplied sources do not identify how many workers are covered, how many applications are already in process, or which offices or business units would be most affected. They also do not identify any exceptions, waivers, or restart dates. For now, the reporting supports only a narrow procedural conclusion: the department said it would not accept or process the named PERM applications.
What to watch next
The next questions are whether the Labor Department or the White House provides a fuller explanation of the scope, whether the named firms issue additional statements, and whether the freeze remains limited to the companies Reuters named. The supplied sources do not identify any appeals, court filings, or administrative reviews.
Because the available reporting is specific but limited, the safest reading is also the narrowest one: on October 8, the administration announced a PERM-related action affecting Microsoft, Adobe, and several large IT services firms, while Microsoft said most of its recent H-1B filings involved existing employees rather than new hires. Beyond that, the supplied sources do not establish more.
Sources
- Vice President JD Vance Holds Press Conference on Fighting Visa Fraud — The White House
- US freezes Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys green-card applications over alleged fraud — Reuters / Investing.com
- Microsoft being suspended from a green card program as Vance alleges fraud — AP News