Microsoft, Adobe suspended from H-1B program: Here's full list of 8 firms

The Trump administration announced Thursday, October 8, that it is suspending Microsoft, Adobe, and several major tech firms from the Permanent Labour Certification program, which allows H-1B visa holders to apply for green cards.

The move escalates the White House’s crackdown on immigration and foreign hiring ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department will not accept or process new applications from:

• Microsoft
• Adobe
• Cognizant
• Infosys
• Capgemini
• Tata
• Wipro
• HCL

Secretary Keith cited “multiple active federal investigations” into Microsoft and Adobe, claiming these companies alone have requested nearly 3 million foreign workers since 2009, securing 230,000 H-1B approvals and 100,000 permanent labour certifications.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking at a White House briefing, singled out Microsoft, pointing to its 6,000 layoffs in 2025 and alleging the company “replaced” American workers with H-1B visa holders.

Vance said: “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused this system more than Microsoft,” Vance said, adding that the administration would deny permanent residency applications “until they show that they are going to get serious about putting American workers first.”

The announcement came the same day President Trump was set to award the National Medal of Science to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, alongside Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, SpaceX’s Elon Musk and AMD’s Lisa Su - all immigrants.

Vance distinguished between “extraordinary” immigrants like Musk and Su and alleged systemic abuse, saying most Americans support bringing in talent who “build something great.”

Microsoft and Adobe didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The suspension marks a major escalation in the administration’s broader effort to overhaul legal immigration pathways for skilled foreign workers.