US Suspends TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and Cognizant From PERM Green Card Programme

The US government has suspended several major IT companies, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Cognizant, and Capgemini, from the federal programme that sponsors foreign workers for employment-based green cards.

The US Department of Labor also suspended Microsoft and Adobe from the Permanent Labor Certification, also known as PERM, programme. Officials said the action follows allegations of misuse of immigration programmes and concerns about the impact on American workers.

What the PERM Suspension Means

The PERM process is an important step for employers sponsoring eligible foreign workers for permanent US residency. The Labour Department said it will not accept new PERM applications or process pending PERM applications involving the suspended companies.

For Indian professionals, the move could create fresh uncertainty, particularly for H-1B workers employed by these companies who are waiting for employer-sponsored green cards. It could also complicate long-term US immigration plans for workers already in the sponsorship pipeline.

The suspension does not automatically cancel existing H-1B visas or green cards. Its immediate effect is on the PERM stage of the permanent residency process.

Companies Affected

The eight companies named by US officials are:

• Microsoft
• Adobe
• Cognizant
• Infosys
• Tata/TCS
• Wipro
• HCL
• Capgemini

US officials said the affected firms had collectively submitted large numbers of foreign-worker applications over the years and accused the companies of contributing to practices that could disadvantage American workers. The companies have not all publicly responded to the allegations.

This is another sign that the US is tightening scrutiny around the H-1B and employment-based immigration system, an issue that matters particularly to Indian technology workers because Indians account for a large share of H-1B approvals.

Travelobiz Take:

We at Travelobiz see this as a serious setback for Indian IT professionals pursuing US permanent residency, although existing H-1B visas remain valid and the immediate impact is limited to the PERM process.