US freezes green card applications from Microsoft, major IT firms over alleged fraud
The Trump administration froze green-card filings by Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT firms, alleging fraud. Microsoft, the largest PERM applicant, denies wrongdoing. Nine universities, including Harvard and Yale, are also under investigation for visa misuse. The move may impact tech companies' hiring and innovation.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
A PERM suspension directly affects the permanent-residency pipeline for named employers, increasing uncertainty around long-term US talent retention and future hiring approvals.
Market read
Traders should treat this as an immediate regulatory shock to PERM-based green-card processing for multiple large tech and IT employers, with potential knock-on effects to hiring and retention expectations.
What to watch
Market impact may depend on how quickly companies can re-route hiring via non-PERM pathways, and whether enforcement expands beyond PERM to other visa categories or specific universities.
Background
The administration says the freeze targets fraud in skilled-worker immigration programs and widens enforcement to PERM filings and university visa practices.
Ticker impact
US freezes Microsoft green-card filings under PERM and bars new or pending PERM applications, citing alleged abuse of the system.
Likely downside pressure as investors price in longer-term hiring and retention friction from PERM suspension.
The article states a PERM freeze specifically covering Microsoft and describes the administration’s rationale tied to alleged fraud and job-protection.
The administration froze some green-card filings by Adobe, expanding a skilled-worker immigration crackdown tied to alleged fraud.
Likely negative read-through as markets anticipate slower permanent-residency processing for affected hires.
Adobe is named as having filings frozen, but the article provides no company-specific defense or quantified exposure beyond the general PERM suspension.
Infosys is named among companies whose PERM applications are frozen, with the Labor Department refusing new or pending PERM processing.
Likely downside as the market prices in reduced certainty for PERM-based green-card timelines.
Infosys is explicitly included in the suspension list and the article details the operational consequence for PERM processing.
Wipro is included in the PERM suspension, with Labor stating it will not accept new or process pending permanent labor certifications for covered firms.
Likely negative as investors anticipate longer timelines and compliance scrutiny for US immigration pathways.
The article directly names Wipro as covered and ties it to a concrete halt in PERM processing.
Amazon is cited as the largest employer of approved H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, in the context of the administration’s broader visa crackdown.
Near-term reaction likely limited unless Amazon is later included; sentiment could skew negative on policy risk.
The article uses Amazon as a data point for H-1B approvals, not as a named PERM-frozen subject with an explicit processing ban.
Apple is mentioned as among the top employers of approved H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, amid the administration’s visa crackdown.
Likely neutral to slightly negative, contingent on whether Apple is later targeted by PERM enforcement.
Apple is not listed among the companies whose PERM applications are frozen; it appears only in the H-1B approvals ranking.
Market effects
US immigration enforcement risk rises for large IT services and big tech reliant on H-1B and PERM, potentially affecting staffing costs, timelines, and compliance spend.
US policy action can quickly reprice expectations for US-based tech labor supply and cross-border talent flows.
Broader crackdown may influence global IT outsourcing firms’ US workforce planning and could shift demand toward domestic hiring or alternative visa pathways.
Counterpoint
The article suggests immediate financial impact may be limited, and Microsoft claims most filings were status extensions, implying near-term disruption could be smaller than headline implies.
Key entities
- companyMicrosoft
Named as having green-card filings frozen under PERM; administration cites alleged abuse and Microsoft’s workforce and visa figures.
- companyAdobe
Named among firms whose green-card filings are frozen as part of the PERM crackdown.
- companyCognizant
Included in the PERM suspension list; Labor will not accept new or process pending PERM applications.
- companyInfosys
Included in the PERM suspension list; Labor will not accept new or process pending PERM applications.
- companyTata Consultancy Services
Included in the PERM suspension list; TCS declined to comment.
