Stories
US Green Card Ban: 1 Lakh Indians Trapped in a Golden Cage
- •US authorities have suspended major companies like Infosys, TCS, Microsoft, and Adobe from the PERM employment-based green card program.
- •The Secretary of Labor accused these companies of visa fraud and misuse of the labor certification process to protect American workers.
- •Microsoft denied the allegations, stating that 80% of its H-1B applications were for extensions or status changes for existing employees.
- •The suspension has stalled the green card pipeline, trapping thousands of Indian tech professionals and their families in a legal trap.
Key Questions Answered
The US Department of Labor suspended several major companies, including Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe, from the PERM employment-based green card program due to alleged visa fraud and misuse of the labor certification process.
Microsoft stated that out of roughly 6,000 H-1B applications filed in the last fiscal year, 80 percent were for extensions or status changes for existing employees rather than hiring new staff, representing about 1 percent of its US workforce.
The suspension has blocked the permanent residency pathway for over 100,000 Indian IT professionals, trapping them in current roles without the ability to easily switch companies or accept promotions without resetting their seniority, while also putting H-4 work authorizations at risk.
