US Halts Green-Card Processing For Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, Others
The US Labour Department suspended PERM processing for several major technology companies, affecting the permanent-residency process for sponsored foreign workers.
The Trump administration on Thursday suspended major technology companies, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL and Capgemini, from the US permanent labour certification (PERM) programme, a key step in the employment-based green-card process. Microsoft and Adobe were also suspended.
US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the Department of Labour would not accept new or process pending permanent labour-certification applications involving the affected companies. The administration cited alleged fraud and concerns about the impact of foreign-worker programmes on American workers.
PERM certification is generally required before employers can file many employment-based green-card applications. The suspension does not amount to cancellation of H-1B visas; it primarily affects the permanent-residency process for workers sponsored by the companies.
The move is likely to have significant implications for Indian technology professionals seeking US permanent residency through employers such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant and HCL.