‘Relocate or leave’: IBM tells workers as it halts US green card sponsorship

Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on US visa programmes for foreign workers, International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. on Tuesday said it was suspending US visa and green card sponsorship.

The company’s new decision will apply to major roles in its IBM Consulting division. The suspension does not apply to immigration sponsorship outside its consulting units.

However, the consulting division is its largest unit and employs around 1,50,000 people out of a worldwide workforce of approximately 2,90,000 employees. 

In a document shared with managers, accessed by Bloomberg, the tech giant explained its decision to end the sponsorship programme. It cited US skill availability and evolving client needs. 

Workers affected by the change have been notified that they can either transition to working for IBM outside the US or leave the company by the end of the year. 

A company spokesperson told Reuters that IBM has used US high-skilled visa programmes to address skill shortages, but participation has been declining over the years. 

Since 2009, IBM has successfully sponsored H-1B workers 27,863 times. However, the company has reduced its reliance on H-1B visas for skilled workers. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, only 1,611 H-1B visas were approved in 2026 compared to 2,045 in 2025. 

The move follows the US Department of Labour (DOL) suspending Permanent Labour Certification applications, or the PERM process, for eight major technology and IT companies last month. 

The affected companies include Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini. The PERM process is an integral step in obtaining green cards for foreign workers. 

The Trump administration has also repeatedly sought approval for a $100,000 filing fee on H-1B petitions, which can pose a significant cost threat for tech companies sourcing global workers.