Microsoft, Adobe Lose Visa Access

The Labor Department suspended Microsoft, Adobe and six IT outsourcing firms from PERM, which employers use to seek permanent residency for foreign workers. It said it would accept no new applications from them and would stop processing pending cases. H-1B visas let employers hire skilled foreign workers; PERM usually precedes an employment-based green card and requires proof that qualified U.S. workers are unavailable. The administration said the companies replaced Americans with lower-paid foreign workers and committed fraud; visa-reliant businesses say the programs address worker shortages. Vice President JD Vance cited Microsoft’s more than 6,000 layoffs and similar H-1B approvals as alleged abuse. The administration also opened J-1 visa probes at nine universities, with subpoenas served. Officials had not said how long the suspensions would last.