Indian tech staff face longer US green card waits after PERM freeze at 8 firms

The United States has frozen new and pending applications under the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) at eight technology firms, including Microsoft, India's Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies. The suspension, announced earlier this month, blocks those companies from hiring skilled international workers on a permanent basis through the widely used pathway.

Key facts

• Announced: earlier this month, on 8 October 2026, by the Trump administration
• What is frozen: new and pending PERM applications at eight tech firms
• Firms named: Microsoft, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies
• Who is affected: H-1B specialist visa holders seeking permanent residency
• Backlog: nearly one million Indian nationals waiting for employment-based green cards as of December 2025

What is changing?

PERM is the labour certification process many skilled workers use to move from a temporary H-1B specialist visa to a green card granting permanent residency, and eventually citizenship. New and pending PERM applications at the eight named firms have been frozen, cutting off that route for workers at those companies.

The move is part of the Trump administration's push for stricter skilled-worker immigration rules. US Vice President JD Vance referred to foreign professionals holding H-1B visas as "foreign indentured servants", a description he later acknowledged was "imperfect" rhetoric. India's foreign ministry called the remark "unwarranted" and "deeply offensive" for its colonial connotation.

Who is affected?

Indians hold a majority of H-1B visas and dominate the US employment green card backlog. Nearly one million Indian nationals were waiting for employment-based green cards as of December 2025, representing 79% of total pending applications, according to the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).

The NFAP projects wait times ranging from five to 179 years for highly skilled Indians filing labour certification or employment-based immigration petitions from January 2026, depending on the visa category.

What other routes to a green card remain?

People with exceptional accomplishments or whose work advances national interests may qualify for categories that bypass the PERM labour certification process. Applicants can also obtain permanent residency by investing at least $800,000 in eligible US enterprises.

Ahmet Gulek, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford's Immigration Policy Lab, said not many of these alternatives may be feasible. Moving to a firm not covered by the suspension is an option, he said, but it is unclear whether such firms would hire immigrants given what he described as "the fear of retaliation". He warned that some of these categories "may be targeted next".

Poorvi Chothani, founder and managing partner of immigration law firm LawQuest, said some applicants are considering the EB-5 investor route but may not have enough capital to invest.

What this means for travellers

Indian tech workers at the eight named firms can no longer use PERM to start or continue a green card application through their employer. Those weighing a move to the US on an H-1B visa face fewer routes to permanent residency, and immigration experts believe some may reconsider their future in the US or choose not to move at all.

Earlier, the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B visa petitions, a measure later struck down by federal courts. More recently, it proposed a $70,000 fee for universities recommending international students for a programme that lets graduates work in the country after completing their studies.

Like other recent immigration measures, the PERM suspension may face federal court challenges. Researchers at Stop AAPI Hate, a US non-profit, have reported a sharp increase in anti-South Asian online sentiment since the 2024 US election, with Indian immigrants and H-1B holders frequent targets.