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Yes. On October 8, 2026, officials said the U.S. was suspending Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini from PERM, the Department of Labor (DOL) process used in most employer-sponsored green-card cases. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the agency would accept no new permanent labor certification applications involving the companies and would not process pending ones. The precise scope and implementation have not been confirmed in a published DOL order located by October 8, so the announcement should be understood as reported policy, not a verified case-by-case determination.
What the reported suspension covers
The action concerns PERM, or permanent labor certification. For most employment-based green-card cases, an employer first asks DOL to certify that hiring the foreign worker will not adversely affect U.S. workers’ wages, working conditions, or job opportunities. If the certification is approved, the employer can use it in the next stage with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). DOL’s PERM overview explains the labor-certification role in that process.
Reuters reported Sonderling’s statement that DOL would not accept new or process pending permanent labor certification applications involving the named employers. That indicates a reported halt at the PERM stage, rather than a shutdown of every green-card process or every immigration benefit involving those companies.
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Which employers were named?
- Microsoft
- Adobe
- Cognizant
- Infosys
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
- Wipro
- HCL Technologies
- Capgemini
The list reflects contemporaneous reporting of officials’ announcement; it is not a company-by-company list independently confirmed in a signed DOL directive. The Associated Press reported that the companies had not immediately responded to requests for comment. Reuters said TCS declined to comment and the other listed firms did not immediately respond.
Does the PERM suspension affect pending applications?
According to Reuters, yes: the stated policy covers both new applications and pending permanent labor certification applications involving the named companies. The reporting does not establish how DOL will identify covered cases, whether any exceptions apply, or what happens to a particular application at a particular stage. No official suspension instrument establishing those details had been located by October 8, 2026.
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Can employees keep working on H-1B status?
PERM and H-1B are separate programs. The reported PERM action does not itself establish that an individual’s existing H-1B status is canceled. Reuters said the freeze did not appear to directly affect current H-1B holders, although it could interrupt a common employer-sponsored route to permanent residency. H-1B employers have separate wage-attestation and worker-protection obligations described by DOL’s H-1B program page.
Whether an individual can continue working depends on their own status, authorization, and circumstances; the PERM announcement alone is not a determination of those facts.
What happens to a case at each stage?
| Case stage | What the announcement indicates |
|---|---|
| PERM not yet filed | Officials’ reported statement says DOL will not accept new labor certification applications involving the named employers. The implementation details and effective date require confirmation from DOL. |
| PERM pending with DOL | Reuters reported pending applications involving the named employers would not be processed under the suspension. The impact on a specific case is not established. |
| PERM already approved | The reported statement concerns new and pending labor certification applications. The available reporting does not explain the treatment of already approved certifications. |
| Case has moved to a later USCIS stage | The announcement is about DOL’s PERM process. The reporting does not establish an automatic effect on a petition or application already before USCIS. |
These are boundaries of what the announcement and reporting establish, not predictions about an individual’s eligibility or outcome. The signed directive, legal authority, duration, exceptions, and review options were not established in the contemporaneous sources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How long does PERM normally take?
DOL’s processing page, updated as of October 5, 2026, listed an average of 336 calendar days for analyst review based on cases reviewed in August 2026. The page also listed analyst and audit review queues at cases filed in December 2025 and reconsideration requests at May 2026; DOL cautions that actual times vary by case. These are agency-wide processing figures, not a timeline or estimate for cases involving the employers named in the suspension. See DOL’s PERM processing-times page.
DOL also publishes PERM performance data. Its FY2026 third-quarter disclosure covers determinations issued October 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and notes that a small percentage may change in later quarterly releases after appeal or redetermination. The performance-data page does not quantify the number of workers or applications affected by the October 8 announcement.
Quick Recap
What affected workers and employers can do
- Identify the exact case stage. Confirm whether the matter is a planned PERM filing, a pending DOL application, an approved labor certification, or a later USCIS filing.
- Confirm the employer and filing details. Check the legal employer named on the case and the latest case status with the employer or representative handling it; a brand name alone may not settle how a directive applies.
- Separate the green-card question from work authorization. Verify any H-1B status or work-authorization dates independently rather than assuming the PERM report changes them.
- Watch for an official DOL/OFLC directive. The reported announcement does not provide confirmed details on effective date, scope, exceptions, duration, or review mechanisms.
- Get independent, case-specific immigration advice. The reporting does not establish a workaround or individual legal outcome, so a qualified immigration professional can assess the person’s documents and circumstances.
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