US visa chaos: Infosys, Wipro among IT firms suspended from PERM scheme; what it means

NEW DELHI: The Trump administration has stepped up its crackdown on the US immigration system, suspending major technology companies including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, Capgemini and HCL from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme amid allegations of abuse of H-1B visas and the employment of foreign workers.US Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of laying off thousands of American workers while simultaneously benefiting from thousands of H-1B visas and green cards. The administration has also put nine universities under investigation over alleged misuse of visa-related programmes, adding to growing uncertainty for foreign workers and international students in the US.Announcing Microsoft's suspension from the PERM programme, Vance said the company had laid off 6,000 American workers while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards."There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused the system more than Microsoft."“If you do the math, for every worker…