My employer was suspended from PERM. What happens to my green card?
On October 8, 2026, officials announced the Labor Department had suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini from PERM, the first step of most employer-sponsored green cards. The Labor Secretary said DOL would not accept new applications or process pending ones involving these companies. H-1B status itself is a separate process and was not announced as suspended. A pending PERM is reported to be on hold rather than denied. Officials did not say that already-certified PERMs or approved I-140s are affected. Workers whose PERM was filed more than a year earlier, or who hold an approved I-140, generally still have a path to extend H-1B beyond six years, while someone whose PERM was never filed cannot have one filed by this employer during the suspension.
Watch out
No written Labor Department notice had been found as of October 18, 2026, so the list and duration rest on the press conference, and which legal entities are covered is unclear. Have an immigration attorney review your case, especially before signing any buyout or leaving the employer.
Informational, not legal advice. Immigration rules change and individual cases differ. Confirm anything that affects your status with your school’s DSO or an immigration attorney before acting.
More on policy changes, fall 2026
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