At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On October 8, 2026, at a press conference held by the White House Fraud Task Force, Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced that the Department of Labor is suspending Microsoft and Adobe from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program.
Sonderling added that the department will also stop accepting and processing new PERM applications from Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini. If you work for one of these companies and are waiting for a green card, here is what you need to know.
What Is PERM, and What Was Suspended?
PERM is the first step for most employment-based green cards in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories. Before sponsoring a foreign worker, the employer must show the Department of Labor that it recruited U.S. workers and found no qualified candidates. Only then can it file a Form I-140 petition with USCIS.
Based on the announcement and analyses published by immigration attorneys, the Department of Labor will not accept new applications from the eight companies and will hold pending ones. No end date has been announced. Federal regulations (20 CFR 656.31) allow processing to be suspended during a fraud investigation, initially for up to 180 days, with the option to extend it until the investigation ends.
Why Did the Government Take This Step?
Sonderling said the Microsoft and Adobe suspensions are due to “multiple active federal investigations.” Vance accused Microsoft of replacing about 6,000 workers laid off in 2025 with H-1B professionals. At the same event, the Labor Department’s Inspector General announced visa fraud investigations at nine universities, according to UPI.
These are government accusations, not court findings. None of these companies has been found guilty of fraud. Microsoft responded that the vast majority of its U.S. employees are Americans and that 80% of its H-1B filings last year were to extend or change the status of people who already worked there. Cognizant had already been suspended from PERM in September, as the Inspector General announced at the time.
What Happens to My H-1B and My I-140?
Not automatically. The measure affects labor certification for permanent residence, not current H-1B visas. If you are working on an H-1B today, your status depends on your approved petition and its dates, not on PERM.
The problem is the future. If your PERM is on hold, your green card case does not move forward, and that can affect plans such as H-1B extensions beyond the sixth year, which depend on having a green card process underway. Each case needs to be reviewed against specific dates.
The announcement covers new and pending PERM applications. No action was announced against labor certifications already approved or against pending or approved I-140 petitions. In general, someone with an approved I-140 keeps their priority date even if they change employers, unless the petition is revoked for fraud or error. That is why it is worth reviewing your file before making decisions.
What Can You Do If You Work for One of These Companies?
- Pin down your exact stage: confirm whether your PERM is pending or certified, or whether you already have an approved I-140, and write down your priority date.
- Check your status dates: see when your H-1B expires and how many years you have used.
- Ask your employer for information in writing: ask whether it received a notice from the Department of Labor and what its plan is.
- Review alternatives with an attorney: some categories do not require PERM, such as the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) or EB-1A, but they do not fit every profile.
If you are worried about losing your job, you can also read our explainer on DHS’s proposal to end the 60-day grace period after job loss.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
An employment-based green card can take years, and a suspension like this one means every step needs a fresh look. Our immigration attorneys, with offices in Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Indiana and virtual service in Florida, can review your case, your priority date, and your alternatives. Campos Law Firm is here to help you.
Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
With information from EFE, UPI, CNBC, analysis by the law firm Colombo & Hurd, and 20 CFR 656.31.
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