Vice President JD Vance announced a new crackdown on alleged abuse of the H-1B visa program during a White House press conference Thursday, saying the Trump administration is moving to protect American workers from what it describes as unfair competition from foreign labor.
Vance announced that the administration is suspending Microsoft and several other major technology and outsourcing companies from using the Labor Department’s Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program.Â
PERM is a key step that allows employers to sponsor certain foreign workers for permanent U.S. residency, or green cards.
The companies affected include Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.Â
The administration accused the companies of abusing employment-based immigration programs, while Vance specifically criticized Microsoft’s use of H-1B workers.
Vance said the H-1B program was created to bring highly skilled workers to the United States for positions that cannot be filled by American workers. He argued that the program has instead become vulnerable to fraud and can be used to reduce wages or replace American workers.
The suspension does not cancel existing H-1B visas or immediately prevent affected companies from employing H-1B workers.Â
However, it can make it more difficult for those workers to transition to permanent residency.
The administration also announced investigations involving the use of J-1 visas at nine universities, expanding its broader scrutiny of employment and exchange-visitor programs.
For more metro, national, and international news stories, visit newyorkvoicenews.com.
Add as preferred source on Google
