IBM halts visa and green card sponsorship in consulting division. IBM is halting work visa and green card sponsorship for most roles in its 150,000-employee consulting division, giving affected workers an ultimatum to transfer overseas or leave. International Business Machines Corp. Is ending work visa and green card sponsorship for most roles in its consulting division, according to reporting by Reuters and Business Insider. The decision brings changes to the company's largest operating unit, which employs more than 150,000 workers. FindSuppliers An IBM spokesperson stated that the unit had relied on U.S. High-skilled visa programs to close skill gaps, but noted that participation had been declining for several years. The spokesperson attributed the shift to changes in skill availability and client need, confirming that the company opted to discontinue visa and green card sponsorship for the majority of such roles in IBM Consulting. Affected employees currently on sponsored visas have been given two choices by management according to Bloomberg reporting cited across multiple outlets: transfer to an IBM role outside the United States, or leave the company by the end of the year. The policy halts both H-1B specialty occupation visas and the Program Electronic Review Management process, commonly known as PERM, which serves as the primary gateway to permanent residency. Media additions. Federal records highlight a multi-year downward trajectory in the company's immigration footprint. According to data cited by Business Insider and BigGo Finance, approved H-1B petitions for IBM as a whole fell from nearly 3,000 in fiscal 2024 to over 2,000 in fiscal 2025, and dropped to just over 1,600 in fiscal 2026. Analysts note that these overarching figures may include renewals and extensions alongside new hires, and do not isolate the consulting division specifically. BigGo Finance noted that IBM reported 264,300 employees across the company and its wholly owned subsidiaries in its 2025 annual report, while consulting growth has been broadly flat since 2024 following the company's shift toward higher-growth software through acquisitions such as Red Hat, HashiCorp, and Confluent. FindSuppliers | Fiscal Year | Approved H-1B Petitions (IBM Overall) | Year-over-Year Change | | 2024 | Nearly 3,000 | N/A | | 2025 | Over 2,000 | Decline | | 2026 | Just over 1,600 | Decline | The policy shift arrives during a tightened federal environment under the second Trump administration, directed in part by Vice President JD Vance. Newsweek reported that the administration recently suspended access to the PERM program for Microsoft, Adobe, and several other major technology firms over alleged fraud concerns, while the Department of Justice reached settlements with Instacart and OpenAI regarding recruitment practices. Proposals under consideration include a $100,000 filing fee for H-1B candidates and lottery rules designed to prioritize higher-salaried positions. Mwakilishi pointed out that the changes also follow the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, which introduced substantial fee hikes for major employers. The end of sponsorship in the consulting unit carries particular weight for international professionals. Mwakilishi highlighted that IBM Consulting has long served as an established corporate entry point for Kenyan and other African tech professionals entering the U.S. Services industry, where applicants from non-backlogged countries could leverage corporate sponsorship for expedited permanent residency. Market reactions were immediate following the disclosure. Aiweekly and BigGo Finance reported that shares of International Business Machines Corp. Slipped about one percent in trading on the day of the announcement. * Federal data shows total IBM petition approvals have declined across consecutive fiscal years. * No official head count of affected workers has been published by the company.

Can you use WIC online? November 10th, 2026 Trusted content Writer, Propel Table of contents. Yes, you may be able to order groceries online through WIC, but it depends on where you live. Like shopping online for groceries with EBT, the option depends on participating retailers and state availability. In November 2026, USDA approved new rules that make it easier for states to offer online WIC shopping. That means more WIC participants can shop for WIC-approved foods on a grocery store's website or app and pay with their eWIC card, rather than choosing those items in person. Propel is the #1-rated EBT balance checking app. Can you order groceries online with WIC? Yes, some WIC participants can already order groceries online through approved retailers and state programs. The new rules make it easier for more states to offer this option, but states are not required to. If online WIC shopping is available in your area, you may be able to: * Browse WIC-approved foods on a grocery store's website or app. * Add eligible items to your cart. * Pay with your eWIC card. * Schedule a pickup or delivery, if the store offers it. Just make sure you're ordering from a grocery store approved to accept WIC online. Do grocery delivery apps accept WIC? Yes, some grocery delivery platforms are working to support online WIC payments. In November 2026, Instacart announced plans to offer online WIC payments by the end of 2027. As more platforms and retailers add this option, WIC participants may have more ways to order eligible groceries online. When will online WIC shopping be available? There's no single date when online WIC shopping will be available nationwide. The new rules take effect December 7, 2026, but states can decide whether and when to offer online shopping for WIC families. States and participating grocery stores will need time to set up the option, so availability will vary. To find out whether online ordering is available where you live, contact your state WIC agency.

Instacart lets grocers link loyalty emails directly to selected offers. Instacart added controls to Storefront Pro on 9 November that let grocers group loyalty offers on their own online shops and link directly to them from a campaign. A retailer sending an email about a weekend promotion can now land the shopper on the selected offers without asking them to search the rewards catalogue. Retailers can arrange the offers in a carousel or on a dedicated merchandising page, choose the branding and decide where the promotion appears. The link goes to the collection the retailer has assembled. That gives the email team a specific destination even when a promotion covers several products. The changes also make points visible during the shop. A member can check a balance in the rewards area, see how using points would affect the estimated checkout total and see points earned or redeemed on the receipt. Which functions a grocer can offer depends on its loyalty provider. Instacart names AppCard and Birdzi among its integrations. Instacart describes the retailer controls and the limits of the integrations in its 9 November announcement. Its Storefront Pro mobile documentation also explains how the retailer's app can display a loyalty card for scanning in a shop.