US Green Card Crackdown Hits Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Among IT Firms

US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of several companies from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme on Thursday, with Vice President JD Vance standing beside him in Washington. The affected companies include Indian IT giants Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro and HCL, alongside global technology firms Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe.

The US government accused these companies of using foreign worker programmes in ways that could disadvantage American employees and reduce domestic employment opportunities. Sonderling said the government would stop accepting new applications and processing pending labour certification requests involving these companies. The programme allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent employment and lawful permanent residency in the United States. Sonderling claimed these companies had requested nearly three million foreign workers since 2009, while authorities had approved more than 230,000 H-1B visas and issued over 100,000 permanent labour certifications. He accused the companies of taking hundreds of thousands of jobs away from American workers.

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JD Vance Criticises Microsoft as NASSCOM Defends Indian IT Firms Amid US Visa Crackdown

Vice President JD Vance criticised Microsoft, accusing the technology giant of abusing the immigration system while laying off American employees. He said Microsoft dismissed 6,000 American workers in 2025 while receiving approvals for more than 6,000 H-1B workers. Vance also alleged that Microsoft filed 3,682 permanent labour certification applications, including nearly 1,000 for positions similar to those held by laid-off employees. He argued that companies should advertise vacancies locally before claiming that qualified American workers cannot fill available positions.

Vance described some foreign workers hired through H-1B visas as indentured servants and criticised companies that depend heavily on temporary employment programmes. He also questioned universities’ use of J-1 visas, claiming that foreign researchers could undermine wages for American graduates and researchers. The Trump administration has tightened immigration policies to protect domestic employment and reduce companies’ reliance on overseas talent. Last month, officials extended an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B non-immigrant visa applications for another year.

NASSCOM Reacts

Meanwhile, industry body NASSCOM said Indian technology companies have significantly reduced their dependence on H-1B visas over recent years. It stressed that skilled talent mobility and immigration represent distinct issues and should not be treated identically. NASSCOM added that Indian technology firms increasingly hire locally, support Fortune 500 companies, strengthen innovation and contribute to employment growth across the United States. However, the suspension could create uncertainty for affected employers and Indian professionals seeking permanent residency through employer sponsorship.

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