Washington: The US has suspended Microsoft and several major technology companies from a labour certification programme used by employers to sponsor foreign workers for employment-based green cards, citing alleged fraud and misuse.
US Vice-President JD Vance and Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the action on Thursday. The companies named include Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini.
The programme, known as the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) process, is an important step for employers seeking to sponsor eligible foreign workers for permanent residence in the US. Companies generally need labour certification before proceeding with certain employment-based green card applications.
The US Department of Labour said it would stop accepting new PERM applications from the affected companies and would also halt processing of applications already pending.
Sonderling said the department was suspending several of the world’s major IT outsourcing companies, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. He also confirmed that Microsoft and Adobe had been suspended from the programme.
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of immigration and employment programmes involving foreign workers. US authorities have previously taken steps to address what they describe as fraud and abuse in the H-1B visa system.
The suspensions could affect foreign employees of the companies whose green card applications require new or pending labour certification, although the impact will depend on the stage and circumstances of individual applications.
