US Suspends PERM Green Card Processing for Major Tech Employers
The US government has stopped accepting or processing PERM labor certification applications involving several large technology and IT services companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, and Capgemini. The Labor Department action affects an employer-sponsored green card step but does not automatically cancel existing H-1B visas, and officials say it aims to protect American workers.
The Labor Department has stopped taking new PERM submissions and halted pending ones linked to several named technology and IT services employers. PERM is the labor-market certification stage often needed before an employer can sponsor someone for permanent residence; it normally examines whether a foreign hire would hurt pay or working conditions for domestic workers.
The listed firms include Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, and Capgemini. Existing H-1B visas are not automatically cancelled by this step. Officials describe the goal as safeguarding domestic employees and tackling claimed improper use of work-based immigration channels, while Microsoft has said many of its H-1B petitions concern renewals or adjustments for current staff.
The suspension could disrupt permanent-residency timelines for foreign tech employees at the named companies, along with spouses, children, and communities tied to them. Employers may face retention and planning uncertainty if sponsorship routes slow. Because H-1B status is not automatically revoked, immediate consequences may vary by application stage and available options. The episode may also intensify discussion about balancing domestic workforce protections with employer needs.