Trump administration suspends green card applications for foreign employees at Microsoft and other companies

China News Service, Washington, October 8 (Reporter Chen Mengtong) The U.S. government announced on the 8th that it would suspend many technology companies such as Microsoft and Adobe from participating in a plan to allow foreign employees to apply for U.S. green cards. At the same time, an investigation was launched into "visa fraud" at nine American universities including Harvard University.

On the same day, the White House held a press conference on the issue of "abuse and fraud in the work visa program". U.S. Vice President Vance, Secretary of Labor Sandlin and others attended the press conference.

Vance said at the press conference that "Americans are incapable of creating a future for the United States" is the lie conveyed by visa fraud. "Until Microsoft proves that it will seriously implement the principle of putting American workers first, we will deny its right to apply for permanent residence status for foreign employees."

Companies whose green card application programs for foreign employees have been suspended also include large technology companies such as Cognizant and Infosys. Vance said the measure would last as long as "necessary."

The U.S. government also announced on the same day that it would launch an investigation into "suspected J-1 visa fraud" at nine American universities, and relevant subpoenas have been served to the schools. The nine universities are MIT, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Brown University, University of Pittsburgh, University of California, Davis, California Institute of Technology and Arizona State University.

Since Trump’s second term, the U.S. government has continued to tighten immigration and visa policies. In September last year, Trump signed a proclamation announcing that the application fee for this type of visa would be increased to US$100,000 on the grounds that companies were "abusing" the H-1B visa program. At the same time, the U.S. government has repeatedly put pressure on American universities, including Harvard University, to restrict or prohibit them from recruiting international students. However, the above measures have encountered judicial challenges. (over)