Washington suspends Microsoft and other tech firms from the green-card sponsorship program
Vice-President JD Vance announced on Thursday that Microsoft is suspended from the program employers use to sponsor H-1B workers for green cards, according to Reuters, AP, The New York Times, The Guardian and The Washington Post. He said the company had abused the visa system while reducing American workers, and that the suspension will last as long as needed. Livemint and CNA reported that Adobe and several Indian IT firms, among them Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Cognizant, are also suspended. No official list has been seen. The suspension concerns the PERM process, which is a step toward a green card, not the H-1B visa. The Indian firm TCS said it sees no impact on its workforce strategy, Reuters reported on Friday.
The U.S. is the biggest destination for skilled tech workers. A suspension of green-card sponsorship changes the calculation for people who planned to stay, and raises the question of where they go instead.
If you or someone you hire is waiting on a U.S. green card through one of these employers, expect delays and ask the employer's lawyers. Canadian employers may see more interest from skilled workers, but we found no data yet.
The administration argues that visa programs were used to replace American workers, and that suspending sponsors who do so enforces the law.
Critics say naming big employers while honouring their chief executives the same day shows a policy driven by politics, and that the harm falls on individual workers.
Look for the list of suspended firms, the legal basis, and whether Microsoft contests it. Canada's gain, if any, will show up in application numbers weeks from now, not in headlines.
DailyDrop Canada edition No. 5 · Morning · FRI., OCT. 9, 2026