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US Green Card Freeze Traps 100000 Indian Families In Limbo
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News18•08-10-2026, 23:22
US Green Card Freeze Traps 100000 Indian Families In Limbo
- •Federal authorities have suspended major IT firms including Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCLTech, and Cognizant from the PERM employment-based Green Card sponsorship programme.
- •The suspension follows allegations of systemic visa fraud and misuse of labour certification processes, effectively closing the primary route to permanent residency for H-1B visa holders.
- •Tech workers bound to frozen Green Card applications face career immobilisation, unable to change employers or accept promotions without resetting multi-year filing timelines.
- •Dependent spouses on H-4 visas face risks to work authorisation, while children ageing out at 21 confront potential self-deportation or complex visa transitions.
- •The policy shift signals stricter enforcement of US immigration rules, prompting affected professionals to weigh legal appeals, alternative destinations, or returning to India.
Key Questions Answered
Federal authorities suspended major IT firms due to allegations of systemic visa fraud and the misuse of labor certification processes meant to protect domestic wages.
The suspension halts new PERM applications and stalls pending certifications, trapping skilled professionals in their current roles. Additionally, dependent spouses risk losing their work authorization, and children turning 21 face potential self-deportation or the need for student visas.
The suspension and increased scrutiny target major firms including Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Microsoft, Adobe, and Capgemini.
