US Suspends Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Microsoft, and 4 Other Tech Giants from Green Card PERM Programme

In a dramatic escalation of immigration enforcement, the US administration under President Donald Trump has officially suspended eight major technology corporations and IT outsourcing giants from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme. This critical federal initiative serves as the gateway through which employers sponsor eligible foreign professionals for employment-based green cards.

The high-impact punitive action targets a powerful roster of global companies, including Indian IT heavyweights Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL, and Cognizant, alongside international tech leaders Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe.

Massive Scale of Foreign-Worker Utilization Cited

Announcing the sweeping disciplinary measure, US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling—alongside Vice President JD Vance and federal anti-fraud officials—revealed staggering statistics regarding historical foreign worker sponsorships:

• Millions of Applications: According to federal estimates, the suspended companies alone have requested nearly three million foreign workers since 2009.

• Approvals Breakdown: These firms have collectively accumulated over 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and more than 100,000 permanent labour certifications, which the administration argues has displaced hundreds of thousands of potential American workers.

• Administration Stance: The White House maintains that segments of the H-1B and green card pipelines have been systematically utilized to bypass domestic talent and undercut local wages.

JD Vance Targets Microsoft Over Layoffs

Vice President JD Vance zeroed in on Microsoft during the briefing, fiercely criticizing the company's employment metrics:

• The Layoff vs. Visa Ratio: Vance alleged that Microsoft laid off approximately 6,000 American employees while simultaneously benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.

• Department of Labour Action: Consequently, the Department of Labour has confirmed it will neither accept new PERM applications from these designated corporations nor process their pending petitions, creating significant administrative hurdles for their workforce.

What the PERM Suspension Means for Indian IT Professionals

The PERM programme is administered by the US Department of Labour as an indispensable prerequisite for green card sponsorship. Employers must formally demonstrate a shortage of qualified local workers before onboarding foreign talent.

• Impact on Residency Pathways: A company's suspension from the PERM system halts the filing of Form I-140 immigrant petitions, effectively freezing the permanent residency pathway for affected H-1B visa holders currently employed by these firms.

• Significance for the Indian Tech Diaspora: Because Indian technology professionals heavily rely on these corporate sponsorship pipelines to build long-term careers in the United States, the sudden expansion of this crackdown—following earlier September investigations into Cognizant—marks a major turning point in US-India tech mobility.

Proposed $70,000 OPT Fee Adds Further Pressure

Compounding the anxiety within the international student and professional community, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed drastic regulatory changes for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) system. Under the new proposal, educational institutions would face steep fees—such as a proposed $70,000 fee for a student's initial OPT participation and $30,000 for subsequent extensions—aimed at curbing alleged system abuse and safeguarding domestic employment markets.