Microsoft suspended from PERM green card program the same day its CEO receives a medal

On October 8, 2026, the US Department of Labor suspended Microsoft from the PERM program, the main path employers use to sponsor foreign workers for green cards. Hours later, President Trump hung the National Medal of Technology and Innovation around the neck of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. What the Labor Department actually did Microsoft was not alone. The suspension covered eight companies in total: Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. The suspension stems from ongoing federal investigations into alleged visa fraud. Investigators are probing the alleged misuse of employment-based immigration pathways to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor. Under the PERM program, an employer must show that no qualified US worker is available before it can sponsor a foreign worker for a green card. The suspension halts new PERM application submissions from the affected firms. It also stops processing on cases already pending. What it does not do is pull existing H-1B work authorizations. Employees currently working on those visas are not losing their status because of this action. The numbers Vance put on the table...