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Guides / International & visa

Reported PERM Pause at Eight Tech Firms: What Workers Should Know

What was reported on October 8

Business Insider reported that Vance and Sonderling announced a suspension of Microsoft and Adobe from the Permanent Labor Certification Program, or PERM, at a press conference. LiveMint later reported that the action covered eight companies: Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. LiveMint said the pause prevents new PERM applications and stops processing of pending applications, citing U.S. officials.

The Department of Labor's public PERM program overview explains the ordinary process. It describes permanent labor certification as an employer filing intended to establish that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect U.S. workers' job opportunities, wages, and working conditions. After certification, the employer generally seeks the next immigration authorization from USCIS.

The DOL newsroom page available when this guide was prepared did not show a separate PERM suspension release. For that reason, this article describes the action as reported by named outlets and attributed officials, rather than treating the news coverage as a complete legal order. The implementation details, effective date, scope, and any exceptions should be confirmed against official notices and employer counsel as they become available.

Which companies are named in the reports?

LiveMint's October 9 report listed:

  • Microsoft
  • Adobe
  • Cognizant
  • Infosys
  • Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
  • Wipro
  • HCL Technologies
  • Capgemini

Business Insider's initial report described Microsoft and Adobe. The expanded list above is attributed specifically to LiveMint. Check for later government guidance or company updates before relying on the list for an individual case.

Officials reportedly alleged that the companies misused employment-based immigration programs and displaced U.S. workers. Those are allegations reported in connection with the announcement, not findings that every named company committed wrongdoing. Microsoft has not been assigned a finding in this guide; check its own statements and any later official proceedings for its response.

PERM and H-1B are different processes

PERM is a labor-certification step employers generally use in many employment-based permanent-residency cases. H-1B is a temporary work classification. They serve different purposes and involve different filings and decision-makers.

The news reports say the announced pause concerns employer participation in PERM. They do not say that every foreign national at a named company loses current work authorization. Nor does the described pause, by itself, revoke an already issued green card. A person's situation depends on their status, the stage and category of their case, employer actions, and any official implementation instructions.

Do not treat an article headline as a case-specific immigration determination. If you have a pending labor-certification application, ask your employer or its immigration counsel whether the filing is affected, whether processing has stopped, and what the latest official notice says.

What workers can do now

If you work for one of the named employers or have a pending employer-sponsored case:

1. Identify your stage. Confirm whether your case is at recruitment, PERM filing, I-140, adjustment of status, or another step. These stages are not interchangeable.

2. Ask the employer's immigration team for written, case-specific guidance. Ask whether your case is covered by the reported pause and what source supports that answer.

3. Keep copies of notices and receipts. Use your official case records rather than a general news story to track your own filings.

4. Do not make travel or job-change decisions from headlines. Check your status and pending applications with counsel first.

5. Continue verifying future updates. Distinguish an announcement, an agency implementation instruction, litigation, and an individual case decision.

How this may affect a job search

The reported pause may create uncertainty for workers whose employer-sponsored cases are at the PERM stage. It does not establish that every worker at a named firm will be affected in the same way. If you are considering another role, ask prospective employers about sponsorship support and timelines through their official recruiting process. A company's past filing history can inform research, but it is not a promise that a specific team or vacancy will sponsor you.

Magmira's H-1B job-search guide and H-1B application support guide cover employer research and job-search planning. The H-1B Sponsor Match tool can help you review employer filing patterns; those records do not guarantee sponsorship. For individual immigration questions, use a qualified lawyer, not a job-search service.

For career-search help unrelated to legal advice, request a resume review or compare Magmira plans.

FAQ

Did the United States suspend green cards for all employees of these companies?

The cited reports describe a pause on the companies' participation in PERM, a labor-certification step used in many employment-based green-card cases. They do not report that all green-card categories or every employee's case were canceled.

Which eight companies were named?

LiveMint reported Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. Check current official notices for the controlling list and scope.

Does the reported PERM pause cancel existing H-1B visas?

The reports describe a PERM action, not automatic cancellation of H-1B status. H-1B and PERM are different processes. Ask an attorney about your specific status and filings.

Are the companies proven to have violated immigration law?

Officials reportedly made allegations about program abuse. Allegations are not the same as an adjudicated finding, and this guide does not conclude that each named employer violated the law.

What should an employee with a pending PERM case do?

Ask the employer's immigration counsel whether the case is covered, whether processing has stopped, and what official guidance applies. Do not make case or travel decisions based solely on news coverage.

Sources

About the author: Manoj Gudala is the founder of Magmira, a career strategy and application support service for job seekers.