The Trump administration has barred Microsoft and other US technology companies from filing permanent residency sponsorships for foreign workers, CNN reports — a policy reversal that directly affects thousands of employees on temporary work visas who were awaiting green card sponsorship.

The change halts employer-driven permanent labour certification filings, the standard first step by which companies such as Microsoft convert temporary foreign workers — typically H-1B visa holders — into lawful permanent residents.

Who is affected?

The directive applies to major US technology employers and their foreign national staff. Workers most exposed are those already in the United States on employment-based temporary visas whose employers had begun, or planned to begin, green card sponsorship.

Without employer sponsorship, affected employees must find alternative paths to permanent residency — such as family-based petitions or self-petition categories — or face eventual departure when their temporary status expires.

What changes for employers?

The policy removes the ability of covered companies to initiate permanent residency filings on behalf of foreign workers. That reverses the long-standing practice under which labour certification lets employers test the US labour market and then sponsor a foreign worker for a green card.

For the affected workforce, this means:

• Employer-filed permanent residency applications are no longer available at covered companies.
• Existing green card pipelines that depend on employer sponsorship stall.
• Workers on temporary visas must track their status expiry dates and plan accordingly.

What should readers watch next?

Because the announcement's precise mechanics — which agencies issued it, which visa categories it covers, and whether pending applications are affected — determine its real-world impact, affected workers and employers should consult the official issuing agency's guidance and qualified immigration counsel rather than rely on summaries alone. CNN's reporting identifies the policy direction; the implementing memo or Federal Register notice will set the binding terms, deadlines and any exemptions.

The development fits a broader pattern of tightening employer-sponsored immigration under the current administration, and further procedural detail is expected as agencies publish formal instructions. Passport File will update this story as official documentation becomes available.

No individual legal advice is offered here; readers with pending or planned applications should verify current rules directly with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Labor.