IBM ending visa sponsorship for most roles in IBM Consulting: What will happen to employees?

Tech giant IBM has announced that it is ending certain Green Card sponsorship and H-1B visa programs within its consulting business. The company said that the decision has been prompted by skill availability in the US, meaning the company does not need to bring in foreign skilled workers. This does not apply to the entire company but only to IBM Consulting, which employs 150,000 people globally.IBM Consulting is the services and technology-advisory arm of IBM (International Business Machines). It helps other companies modernise their businesses, adopt new technologies and manage large-scale IT operations. It basically covers IT consulting, AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and business transformation etc. The workforce comprises software engineers and developers, IT consultants, data scientists and AI specialists, cloud architects, cybersecurity professionals, project managers and business analysts.'Funny how corporate calculus changes'Inspector General of the US Department of Labor, Anthony D'Esposito, reacted to the announcement and called it funny. He said the announcement was obviously a reaction to the Trump administration's crackdown on visa and Green Card abuse. "@IBMis pulling back on visa sponsorships. Funny how the corporate calculus changes when scrutiny shows up...If your business model depends on nobody checking, find a new business model," he said.What will happen to affected employees?Bloomberg reported that the affected employees will have the option to leave the US and continue working…