Story perspectives

Labor Department Probes Firms After PERM Program Suspension

By Drooid · Oct 8, 2026, 11:51 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys and Tata from the PERM program on Oct. 8, 2026.
The Labor Department is investigating possible fraud by the firms that may have displaced U.S. workers.
Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of being the worst abuser of the green-card system.
Microsoft reported 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B filings were extensions, with new hires about 1% of its workforce.

History

Historical Context

President George H.W. Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, creating the PERM labor-certification system and capping H-1B visas at 65,000 per year. By 2005 the Department of Labor flagged fraud in over 30 % of certifications, prompting later enforcement actions. Today the Labor Department’s suspension of firms such as Microsoft and Infosys echoes those early warnings.

1 of 2

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys and Tata from the PERM program on Oct. 8, 2026.
The Labor Department is investigating possible fraud by the firms that may have displaced U.S. workers.
Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of being the worst abuser of the green-card system.
Microsoft reported 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B filings were extensions, with new hires about 1% of its workforce.

1 / 2