US Suspension of Green Card Program: Indian IT Giants Remain Resilient Amidst Policy Shift
The United States has recently placed eight prominent IT companies, including Indian technology titans Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, and HCL, under suspension from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) program. The move comes as US regulators raise concerns that the current green card application process for foreign workers has potentially restricted employment opportunities for domestic American workers. Other global entities impacted by the decision include Capgemini, Cognizant, Microsoft, and Adobe.
Despite the gravity of a federal suspension, industry analysts and company leadership suggest that the operational impact on Indian IT firms will be minimal. Data indicates that these corporations have been significantly scaling back their reliance on the PERM process over the last several years, signaling a strategic pivot toward local hiring and a reduced dependence on permanent residency visas.
A Declining Trend in Green Card Filings
Market analysis confirms a dramatic reduction in PERM applications originating from Indian IT firms. For instance, TCS reported filing only two applications during the 2026 US financial year, a sharp contrast to the 1,804 filings recorded in 2024. Similarly, HCL’s filings dropped to 59 in 2026, down from 323 in 2025. Wipro, which faced a high rate of denials and withdrawals in 2024, has also seen a clear downward trend in its dependency on the program.
Vineet Nayar, former CEO of HCL Technologies, highlighted the minor scale of this involvement in a social media update. According to his assessment, Indian IT firms were responsible for fewer than 1,400 of the 117,849 total PERM certifications issued last year, representing less than two percent of the total volume.
Strategic Shift Towards Local Workforce
The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) has clarified that the suspension is unlikely to disrupt client engagements or workforce strategies. In a statement, the industry body emphasized that over the past few years, Indian technology companies have actively prioritized local recruitment in the US. By building a robust domestic workforce, these firms have naturally decreased their reliance on H-1B visas and the subsequent transition to permanent residency.
TCS echoed these sentiments, noting that its PERM application numbers have remained in the single digits for the past two years. Consequently, the firm maintains that the regulatory action will have little to no effect on its ongoing operations or human resource management.
The PERM process serves as the foundational step for foreign nationals holding work visas to obtain a green card for permanent residency in the United States. While the US Department of Labour’s intervention marks a notable policy stance, the data suggests that for the Indian IT sector, the era of heavy reliance on this specific visa pathway has largely come to an end. By internalizing talent through localized hiring, these companies have effectively insulated themselves from the volatility of US immigration policies, ensuring continuity for their global clientele.
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