Indian-American Group Urges Trump to Protect PERM Green Card Program Amid Tech Company Suspensions

WASHINGTON — The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has urged President Donald Trump to preserve the employment-based green card certification process, warning that restrictions on the program could drive skilled foreign workers to other countries and create uncertainty for immigrants seeking permanent residency.

In a letter to the White House, GOPIO Chairman Thomas Abraham and President Prakash Shah called on the administration to maintain the Permanent Labor Certification program, commonly known as PERM, while strengthening safeguards against misuse.

The organization urged the administration to “preserve the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program while strengthening enforcement against any abuse.”

GOPIO also called for “clear, fair, and predictable procedures” for employers and foreign workers, including individuals whose applications are already pending.

The group warned that uncertainty surrounding employment-based immigration could encourage skilled professionals to relocate to “Canada, Europe, or other countries.”

The appeal follows an October 8 announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor that it would suspend the acceptance and processing of PERM applications from eight major technology and consulting companies: Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe.

Vice President JD Vance indicated that the restrictions could remain in place for an extended period.

The suspension “is gonna last as long as it needs to,” Vance said when the action was announced.

The Labor Department announced the restrictions during a news conference but had not publicly released a detailed notice explaining the alleged violations, legal authority or duration of the suspensions as of October 13, according to immigration law firm Goel & Anderson.

The firm pointed to a separate enforcement action involving software company Cloudera as a possible indication of how the latest suspensions could proceed.

On May 12, the Labor Department suspended Cloudera from the PERM program for 180 days following an April 28 Justice Department complaint alleging that job advertisements connected to the company’s labor certification applications directed applicants to a nonfunctioning email address.

Cloudera acknowledged that the email account was not operating as intended.

Goel & Anderson said federal regulations allow suspensions of up to 180 days, after which the Labor Department can decide whether to restore processing or extend the restrictions. A decision in Cloudera’s case is expected in early November.

The law firm also suggested that refusing to accept new applications could resemble debarment, potentially exposing the government’s action to legal challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act. No lawsuit challenging the latest suspensions had been reported.

The restrictions apply specifically to PERM applications and do not affect workers’ existing H-1B visa status, according to the firm.

Several Indian technology companies have sought to reassure investors that the suspensions will have limited effects on their operations.

Infosys said it did “not anticipate” a “material impact” from the restrictions, while Tata Consultancy Services reportedly has fewer than 10 PERM applications. Wipro has said that more than 80% of its U.S. workforce consists of locally hired employees.

The PERM program is a critical component of the employment-based green card process. In most cases, employers seeking permanent residency for foreign workers must first demonstrate to the Labor Department that qualified U.S. workers are not available for the positions at the required prevailing wages.

The process is particularly important to Indian professionals, who account for the largest share of H-1B workers in the United States and face lengthy employment-based green card backlogs because of country-specific immigration limits.

For many Indian workers, employer-sponsored labor certification represents an essential step toward obtaining permanent residency after years of living and working in the United States on temporary visas.

GOPIO’s appeal reflects concerns within the Indian diaspora that prolonged restrictions or uncertainty surrounding PERM processing could disrupt career plans, delay permanent residency applications and affect the United States’ ability to retain highly skilled international workers. (Source: IANS)