Now Reading: IBM ends H-1B sponsorship for most consulting roles
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IBM ends H-1B sponsorship for most consulting roles
The Story in Brief
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is ending H-1B visa and green card sponsorship for most roles in its consulting division, its largest business unit with over 150,000 employees. The company cited skill availability in the US as the reason, saying it no longer needs to bring in foreign skilled workers for those roles.
The decision follows the Trump administration's crackdown on the H-1B visa programme since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. in October 2026, the administration accused Microsoft, Adobe and other companies of abusing the visa programme and suspended them indefinitely.
Affected employees can continue working for IBM outside the US or leave the company at the end of the year, according to an internal document seen by Bloomberg. The Times of India reported that many details remain unclear, including whether the announcement applies only to new sponsorships or also to employees already in the green card queue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets report the core decision neutrally, but differ in framing. The Times of India includes a pointed reaction from the US Department of Labor inspector general, who mocked the timing of IBM's move, while the Economic Times leads with the administration's broader visa crackdown and past actions against other tech firms. The Times also provides a detailed breakdown of how the decision affects employees at different stages of the green card process, a practical detail the Economic Times omits. The consistent thread is that both confirm the decision is driven by skill availability in the US, not by any change in Trump-era visa rules. The key open question, flagged only by the Times, is whether the announcement covers only new sponsorships or also applications already in the pipeline.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
