The green card pathway used by skilled foreign tech workers has come under direct attack from President Donald Trump, according to a Reuters report, putting a migration route long favored by engineers, developers and startup founders at the center of a new policy fight.

The programme at issue allows highly skilled foreign nationals working in the U.S. technology sector to obtain lawful permanent residence — the so-called green card — without a sponsoring employer in certain cases. Reuters frames the development as an assault on that route, signaling that a pathway once treated as technical back-office immigration policy is now a target of presidential-level politics.

Who does this affect?

The change in posture affects skilled foreign tech workers who rely on employment-based green card categories to stay in the United States long term. That population includes:

• Software engineers and technical specialists employed by U.S. technology firms
• Founders and entrepreneurs who self-petition for permanent residence
• Workers already in the application pipeline who now face heightened uncertainty about how rules will be applied

Reuters reports that Trump is attacking the programme directly, which distinguishes this from slower procedural tightening. A public political campaign against a specific green card route can shift adjudication practices, enforcement priorities and applicant outcomes even before any formal rule change is published.

What changes in practice?

Reuters does not report a new regulation with an effective date, a quota change or a revised eligibility threshold. The story establishes a political attack on the programme rather than a published rule amendment. For applicants, that means the concrete steps of the process have not been publicly rewritten — but the policy environment surrounding them has shifted.

Affected readers should track announcements from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that adjudicates employment-based green card petitions, and the Department of State, which administers the visa bulletin governing when applicants can file or finalize adjustment of status. Any formal change to the programme would appear through those official channels, including the Federal Register if a rule is amended.

Why does this matter now?

Employment-based green cards for skilled workers have enjoyed decades of bipartisan support in principle, even as critics debated annual caps and backlogs. A presidential attack on the route marks a break from that pattern. Reuters's reporting positions the programme as politically contested in a way it has not been previously, raising the stakes for anyone whose immigration strategy depends on it.

Tech companies also carry exposure. Firms that recruit global engineering talent rely on predictable green card pathways to retain staff long term. Political pressure on the route introduces planning risk for employers as well as workers, from hiring timelines to retention of staff already in the pipeline.

What should applicants watch?

No deadline, cap or eligibility threshold has been publicly altered in the reporting available. The signals to monitor are:

• USCIS policy manual updates and adjudication guidance
• Federal Register notices, which would carry any formal rule change
• Statements from the White House on employment-based immigration
• The monthly visa bulletin for movement in backlogged categories

This is a developing story. Passport File will update coverage as official details emerge from U.S. immigration authorities.