The Trump administration has moved to block certain tech companies from the H-1B PERM program, the employer-sponsored pathway that foreign tech workers use to obtain U.S. permanent residency, according to a Newsweek report titled "Green Card Update: Trump Admin Blocks Tech Companies From H-1B PERM Program."

The change targets the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) process, the first step an employer must complete before filing an employment-based green card petition for a foreign worker. Tech firms are among the heaviest users of this route, sponsoring skilled foreign employees — many of them H-1B visa holders — for lawful permanent resident status.

What is the PERM program?

PERM requires a U.S. employer to test the domestic labor market before sponsoring a foreign worker. The employer must run recruitment, certify that no qualified U.S. worker applied, and obtain a labor certification from the Department of Labor. Only then can the employer file Form I-140, the immigrant petition that anchors most employment-based green card applications.

For H-1B holders, PERM approval is the gateway to adjusting status from temporary skilled-worker visa to green card. Any block on a company's ability to file PERM applications effectively freezes the permanent-residency track for its foreign workforce.

Who is affected?

The reported measure affects technology companies that sponsor H-1B workers through the PERM pipeline, along with the foreign employees relying on those sponsors for green cards. Newsweek's headline identifies the affected group as tech companies within the H-1B PERM program, though the full scope of the block — which firms, on what grounds, and for how long — is set out in the outlet's reporting.

Foreign nationals currently in PERM processing should track announcements from the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the two agencies that administer the labor certification and green card petition stages respectively.

What should readers watch next?

• Official guidance from the Department of Labor on PERM processing changes.
• Any USCIS statement on I-140 petitions tied to affected sponsors.
• Updates from the White House on the scope and effective date of the restriction.

Newsweek's report signals a significant shift for employment-based immigration in the technology sector. Passport File will monitor the agencies' channels and report exact quotas, deadlines and eligibility criteria as officials publish them. Readers with pending cases should consult the primary sources — the Department of Labor and USCIS — or a licensed immigration attorney for case-specific questions; this report describes policy developments and does not constitute legal advice.