‘Indentured servants’: US green card move will hit thousands of IT workers

Key Points:

• The US government, led by Vice President JD Vance, has suspended certain top tech companies—including Microsoft, Adobe, and several Indian IT firms—from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) program, accusing them of abusing the system to replace US workers with lower-paid foreign employees.
• The PERM program allows US employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency, but officials claim it has been exploited to undercut American wages and displace domestic workers, with allegations of fraud and mistreatment of foreign employees.
• The suspension affects thousands of foreign workers, predominantly Indian nationals, many of whom have been waiting years due to a significant backlog in employment-based green card applications; this move could further delay or block their path to permanent residency.
• Microsoft disputed the accusations, stating most of its H-1B visa applications were for existing employees and that it complies with visa standards and equal pay policies, while India’s government condemned US officials’ comments as offensive and harmful to bilateral relations.
• The policy shift is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls, including proposals for higher H-1B visa fees, amid ongoing debates about the impact of skilled foreign workers on the US labor market.