US freezes green-card filings at Microsoft, Adobe and six IT firms

The US Labor Department has stopped accepting new and processing pending labor-certification applications from Microsoft, Adobe, and six large IT services companies including Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro. That certification, known as PERM, is usually the first gate in an employer-sponsored green-card process: a company must show that it could not find qualified US workers for the role without harming local wages or conditions. Officials say the action addresses suspected fraud or abuse; they cited active federal investigations involving Microsoft and Adobe, but no charges or findings of wrongdoing have been announced. The freeze does not itself cancel existing work authorization, but it can delay a route to permanent residency for affected employees and makes immigration compliance a more immediate business risk for companies built around global technical talent.