Microsoft has been suspended from applying for permanent residency for workers employed through the H-1B visa program, as announced by JD Vance on Thursday. The U.S. Vice President accused the tech giant of abusing the H-1B system, which permits visa holders to work while applying for a green card.

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"Our message to Microsoft is, you’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers," Vance stated during a press conference. "You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants."

Adobe Also Affected

In addition to Microsoft, the U.S. Labor Department confirmed that Adobe has been similarly suspended from the visa program. Keith Sonderling, the U.S. Labor Secretary, stated, "We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labor certification applications involving these companies."

H-1B Visa Applications

In 2026, Microsoft applied for H-1B visas for nearly 3,700 workers, making it the fifth largest employer of H-1B workers. Amazon leads the list with over 9,300 petitions this year. Since 2009, Microsoft and Adobe have received approximately 230,000 approvals for H-1B visas and 100,000 permanent labor certifications, which are essential steps toward obtaining an employment-based green card.