The US has frozen new and pending applications to the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) at eight technology firms, including Microsoft, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and HCL Technologies. The restriction blocks the companies from hiring skilled international workers permanently through this widely used visa pathway.
The move affects Indian workers who use H-1B temporary specialist visas to work in the US while seeking permanent residency through PERM. The source says Indians hold a majority of H-1B visas. The policy follows President Donald Trump’s push for stricter skilled-worker immigration rules.
Indian technology companies say their reliance on the pathway is limited. Wipro said more than 80% of its US workforce is locally hired. TCS said its PERM applications were in single digits over the past two years. Microsoft said it has filed for H-1B visas mostly to retain existing staff. A Business Standard report citing PERM Tracker said TCS filings fell to 2 in 2025-26, from 513 the previous year and 1,804 the year before.
The effects extend beyond hiring. A senior executive at one of the eight firms told the BBC anonymously that some employees have spent years in the US while their green-card applications remain stalled, complicating decisions about returning to India. The source also reports increased anti-South Asian online sentiment since the 2024 US election.
About 1 million Indian nationals were waiting for employment-based green cards as of December 2025, or 79% of pending applications, according to the National Foundation for American Policy. It projects waits of 5 to 179 years for highly skilled Indian applicants filing from January 2026, depending on category.
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