“Relocate Or Leave”: IBM To Visa & Green Card Holders In Consulting Unit

IBM is ending US visa and Green Card sponsorship for most roles in IBM Consulting, its largest division with 1,50,000 employees. The visa holders in this unit have now been given a difficult choice – to relocate outside the US and work for IBM or leave the company by the end of the year. IBM has not specified how many people will be affected by this decision and which roles will bear the brunt of it.

IBM Consulting Employees To Either Relocate Abroad Or Quit Before Year-End Amid Tighter Visa Scrutiny

Trump Administration's Moves To Tighten Visa Scrutiny 

The move comes amid tight scrutiny of foreign tech hiring by American President Donald Trump’s administration. Just last month, in October 2026, it suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and several major outsourcing companies, from the Permanent Labor Certification process – a key step toward green cards for foreign workers.

In September 2025, the White House announced a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions, a measure that is now tied up in the courts. The administration has also proposed changes to the annual H-1B lottery that would give priority to employers offering the highest salaries.

Also Read: US Suspends 8 IT Firms From Green Card Process, Including Infosys & TCS

IBM Ends Sponsorship For High-Skilled Visa Programs

According to Reuters, IBM Consulting has used US high-skilled visa programs to address skill shortages, but participation has been “declining for years.”

It opted to end sponsorship for most such roles as skill availability and client needs have evolved, as per a spokesperson from IBM to Reuters. Bloomberg News in a report cited an IBM document it claimed it had seen that said workers impacted by the move can work with IBM outside the US or leave by the end of the year.

The company says the move is a business decision and not a sudden reversal.

The employees caught in the middle have little to no time to decide. The year-end deadline is nearing. Visa holders in IBM Consulting will have to choose between moving abroad with the company or finding a new sponsor in the US before the deadline of less than two months runs out.

Also Read: US To Hike EB-5 Visa Fees; May Affect Indian Investors

IBM Shows Declining H-1B Petition Approvals

IBM had just over 1,600 H-1B petitions approved in fiscal year 2026, down from more than 2,000 in fiscal year 2025, and nearly 3,000 in fiscal year 2024. These numbers cover IBM as a whole rather than consulting alone and also include amended or extended applications for existing staff. According to its annual 2025 report, it had 2,64,300 employees worldwide, including its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Also Read: USA Travel Insurance From India: Coverage, Documents & Costs

Summing Up

IBM is ending its US visa and Green Card sponsorship for most roles in IBM Consulting, which happens to be its largest division. This comes amidst the Trump administration’s move to tighten visa scrutiny, especially for foreign professionals. IBM Consulting employees now have a difficult choice – relocating abroad to keep their job or leaving the job by the year-end.