Today IBM announced that it is ending U.S. visa and green card sponsorship for most roles in IBM Consulting. That covers new H-1B petitions and PERM, the labor certification step most employment-based green cards start with. IBM's spokesperson said participation in these programs "has been declining for a number of years." Bloomberg reported that affected workers can keep working for IBM outside the U.S. or leave by the end of the year, and Newsweek points to Department of Labor data showing IBM filed for more than 1,100 H-1B visas in fiscal year 2026.
One reason may be surging immigration fees and aggressive federal audits have made the foreign talent pipeline more of a financial liability for its lower-margin consulting division, but I am personally skeptical of that. The regulatory squeeze coincides with IBM’s massive corporate push to replace routine consulting tasks with automated AI agents. Furthermore, because IBM owns massive global delivery centers, they can easily offshore these affected workers to international branches to keep the talent while avoiding the costly US immigration system entirely. While the business may claim that pressure from the government and fee increases are the reason and it may be, to a degree, ultimately, blaming external political pressure serves as a convenient narrative to mask what is fundamentally a structural, margin-driven downsizing/reconfiguring.
Who this impacts
This is one company's decision about its own hiring, not a change in the law. If you work in an IBM Consulting role that IBM sponsors, or you were hoping IBM Consulting would sponsor you, this will impact you directly. If you work anywhere else nothing about your H-1B, your H-4, or your green card case changed today.
I understand that this lands on top of a rough few weeks for sponsorship news... last month the Department of Labor suspended PERM processing for eight large employers (Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini). So it’s easy to feel like things just keep tightening when it comes to immigration, and that's fair. However, it’s important to remember that the PERM suspensions are due to pending investigations, and the announcement from IBM is a company decision not a policy update, or even a referendum on where immigration in the U.S. is headed.
The two things that are still true today
First, if you already have an approved I-140, the priority date on it remains yours regardless of who your employer is, unless the I-140 was withdrawn prior to the 180-day mark, or something about it was deemed fraudulent. Under 8 CFR 204.5(e), an approved EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 petition gives you that priority date for a later petition, even with a new employer, unless USCIS revokes the approval for fraud or willful misrepresentation, a problem with the labor certification, or a material error.
Second, the H-1B grace period of up to 60-days after a job ends (8 CFR 214.1(l)(2)) still exists right now. However, DHS has proposed eliminating it, and the public comment period on that proposal closes tonight, November 10, at 11:59 PM Eastern.
TLDR
IBM is ending visa and green card sponsorship for most IBM Consulting roles. This is a company decision, not a policy change so if you don't work there, nothing has changed for you.
If you do work at IBM, ask the Immigration Team or HR for your timeline and where any PERM or I-140 stands in writing, keep copies of every I-797 you've received, and know that an approved I-140's priority date generally stays with you.
The 60-day grace period still exists today, but it's under a proposal to remove it. Go Comment!
If you want to receive these updates, keep track of your family’s status, and sleep better at night, check out Connect by InHouse Core.
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed immigration attorney.
