DOL Announces PERM Processing Suspensions For Major Technology Companies

Overview

On Oct. 8, 2026, administration officials announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) would stop accepting new permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and processing pending applications involving companies such as Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. As of Oct. 9, DOL had not published a Federal Register notice, Office of Foreign Labor Certification directive, or detailed release specifying the action’s exact effective date, legal basis, scope, or duration.

Background

PERM is the DOL process through which an employer generally obtains labor certification before sponsoring a foreign worker for permanent residence. DOL must determine that there are not sufficient able, willing, qualified, and available U.S. workers for the position and that employment of the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. A timely PERM filing may be