IBM is ending US visa and Green Card sponsorship for most positions in its consulting division, a major development for foreign workers, including Indian professionals, employed by the technology giant.Bloomberg reported that the decision affects IBM Consulting, the company’s largest business division, which employs more than 150,000 people. Workers impacted by the move will have the option of continuing their employment with IBM outside the US or leaving the company by the end of the year. “We have opted to discontinue visa and green card sponsorship for the majority of such roles in IBM Consulting,” an IBM spokesperson said.The move comes amid the Trump administration’s increasing scrutiny of companies hiring foreign workers and its efforts to make the H-1B visa programme more restrictive.IBM’s decision does not amount to a company-wide end to immigration sponsorship. The reported change specifically concerns the majority of roles in its consulting division.The affected division had previously relied on US high-skilled visa programmes to address skill shortages. However, IBM said participation in these programmes had been declining for several years.An IBM spokesperson said skill availability and client requirements had evolved, prompting the company to reassess its sponsorship policy.
Trump administration’s H-1B crackdown
The decision came as President Donald Trump’s administration stepped up pressure on technology companies to prioritise American workers and reduce their reliance on foreign labour.Trump has introduced several measures aimed at making it harder for companies to hire foreign professionals through the H-1B programme. These include a proposed $100,000 fee for certain new H-1B petitions and changes to the annual visa lottery that give greater priority to higher-paid applicants.Last month, the administration also suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several major outsourcing companies, including Cognizant, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme.PERM is a key step in the employment-based green card process, requiring employers to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect US workers’ wages and employment opportunities.The administration accused the companies of abusing the US worker visa system and suspended them indefinitely from participating in the programme.
