IBM Phases Out US Sponsorship of Foreign Worker Visas for Major Division Amidst Trump Administration's Crackdown

In a significant shift in employment policies, tech giant IBM has announced that it will no longer sponsor US foreign worker visas and green cards for most roles within its largest division. This decision comes amidst the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to curtail the hiring of highly skilled foreign workers in the US. A company spokesperson confirmed the change on Tuesday, stating that the shift was due to evolving skill requirements and client needs.

IBM Consulting, which employs over 150,000 of IBM's global workforce, has been less reliant on H-1B visas for foreign workers in recent years. According to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, only 1,611 H-1B petitions were approved for the company in fiscal year 2026. The administration's increased pressure on major companies to reduce their reliance on foreign workers has been a driving factor behind IBM's decision.

The Trump administration has long claimed that the H-1B visa programme is prone to fraud and takes jobs away from skilled Americans, instead giving them to immigrants. Last year, the administration announced a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions and suspended several tech companies, including Adobe and top H-1B employers such as Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Microsoft, from a programme that allows H-1B workers to apply for green cards. These suspensions were announced shortly after President Trump honored Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, despite his Indian origins. The honorees included five foreign-born US citizens, including Tesla boss Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who immigrated from Russia as a child.

This move by IBM follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at limiting the hiring of foreign workers in the US tech sector. The administration's efforts have sparked controversy and debate, with proponents arguing that they protect American jobs while critics claim they unfairly target foreign workers and stifle innovation.