Microsoft and Adobe Face a Green Card Sponsorship Freeze: What Investors Should Watch

Microsoft and Adobe Face a Green Card Sponsorship Freeze: What Investors Should Watch

By Gian Estrada
Publication Date: 2026-10-09 06:19:00

Microsoft and Adobe Face a Green Card Sponsorship Freeze: What Investors Should Watch ©deepanker70 from pixabay and audioundwerbung from Getty Images via Canva

Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) and Adobe (ADBE:NASDAQ) lost access to a key step in the US green card system on Thursday, October 8. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspensions at a White House press conference, saying the Labor Department won’t accept new or process pending permanent labor certification (PERM) applications involving either company. Six IT outsourcers were named alongside them.

The same day, President Trump handed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Microsoft stock closed down 1.35% at about $523, while Adobe shares rose 3.56% to about $241.

Why Washington Singled Out Microsoft

PERM is the step a company clears before sponsoring a foreign employee for a green card, usually someone already working there on an H-1B…