For millions of technology professionals, the traditional journey to a career in the United States followed a familiar script involving an engineering degree, a tech services posting, repeated visa renewals, and ultimately a green card securing permanent residency. However, BBC News reported that the United States has suspended eight technology firms—including Microsoft, India's Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, and HCL Technologies—from hiring skilled international workers on a permanent basis through a widely used visa pathway.

According to BBC News, new and pending applications under the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) have been frozen. This development presents a challenge for many individuals holding H-1B temporary specialist visas who rely on the PERM process to transition toward a green card and eventual citizenship.

Background

The recent announcement aligns with stricter skilled-worker immigration rules pushed by the US administration, alongside remarks from Vice President JD Vance regarding H-1B workers that have added to immigration policy concerns, as reported by BBC News. Despite the suspension, Nasscom, the trade association representing India's $300bn (£226bn) technology industry, stated that Indian companies have increasingly reduced their dependence on H-1B visas and are hiring more locally. Consequently, Nasscom noted that the number of employees transitioning from H-1B visas to permanent residency through the PERM process remains relatively limited.

Individual corporate statements reflect this shift. Wipro stated that more than 80% of its US workforce is locally hired, while Microsoft indicated that it files for H-1B visas primarily to retain existing staff rather than import new workers. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported that its PERM applications dropped to single digits over the last two years. Furthermore, a report from the Business Standard newspaper, citing PERM Tracker data, highlighted that TCS application filings fell from 1,804 two years ago and 513 in the previous year to just two in 2025-26, with no records found for Infosys and Wipro for the same period.

Brokerage firm HDFC Securities stated that the overall impact on tech companies would likely be minimal because PERM-linked jobs make up only a small share of revenue. A US-based senior executive at one of the affected firms told BBC News on condition of anonymity that while the restriction will not break business operations, the human-level impact is far more intense for individuals caught in immigration limbo.

Why it matters

For observers and professionals across South Asia, shifts in major destination markets for technology talent highlight the changing realities of international career mobility and long-term residency pathways. While corporate adaptability cushions the financial blow for large enterprises, changes in immigration policy directly shape the personal and professional futures of skilled workers navigating overseas employment markets.