PERM Green Card Pauses for Eight Companies: What Applicants Should Know

If your green card depends on an employer, this news is important. On October 8, 2026, the Department of Labor said it would stop accepting new PERM applications and stop processing pending ones from eight companies. The PERM labor certification process is the first step in most employment-based green card cases. The eight companies are Adobe, Capgemini, Cognizant Technology Solutions, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Microsoft, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro. Amazon and Meta, the nation's two largest H-1B work visa sponsors, were not suspended. The move follows Executive Order 14431. President Trump signed it on September 18, 2026, and it was published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2026. The order asks federal agencies to look at employers' layoffs. They must consider whether an employer directly or indirectly engaged in layoffs within the previous year, or plans future layoffs, that negatively affect similarly situated U.S. workers. Employers with layoffs are not automatically barred from sponsoring workers, and previously approved H-1B petitions are not revoked. The PERM action itself is more direct. According to the Labor Department, the suspended employers can no longer submit new PERM applications, and their pending applications will not be processed. This step does not change work status for H-1B holders. The suspension of the PERM program does not affect H-1B visas, which are temporary work permits. Workers whose green card petition was already approved may keep their place in line. An I-140 that is already approved keeps its priority date, which is the worker's place in the green card line. Several questions remain open. It remains unclear whether already approved labor certifications or immigrant petitions will be affected. A suspension is not a finding of fraud. An initial suspension can last up to 180 days. Some immigration lawyers also question the legal basis for the action. The government has not identified a regulatory or legal authority that enables such PERM suspensions. What this means for you: If your employer is on this list, your green card case may be delayed or stopped at the PERM step. Do not make big decisions, such as changing jobs, moving or filing new paperwork, until you have spoken with your employer's HR team and an immigration attorney. If your employer is not on the list, the layoff rules in the executive order may still matter for future filings, so it is smart to ask your employer about its plans. Also keep in mind that PERM cases are handled by the Department of Labor, not USCIS. A USCIS case status page may not show changes at this stage, so ask your employer or attorney for updates on the labor certification itself. Rules in this area are changing quickly. Check official sources such as uscis.gov and the Department of Labor website, and keep copies of every notice you receive. This article is general information, not legal advice. Sources: New Executive Order and PERM Suspensions Tie H-1B and Green Card Sponsorship to Layoff History (Foley & Lardner LLP): https://www.foley.com/insights/publications/2026/11/new-executive-order-and-perm-suspensions-tie-h-1b-and-green-card-sponsorship-to-layoff-history-what-employers-should-know/ Business Immigration Monthly - October 2026 (Lexology): https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2bee0039-7b38-485e-b5a9-83802ebb8f5a Microsoft got 6,258 H-1B approvals. Here's who got more (CNBC): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/10/vance-microsoft-h1b-layoffs-visa-data.html Green Card Update: Trump Admin Blocks Tech Companies From H-1B PERM Program (Newsweek): https://www.newsweek.com/green-card-update-trump-admin-blocks-tech-companies-h1b-perm-program-microsoft-adobe-12541853 Photo: Katerina Shkribey on Unsplash