PERM certifications at 13 IT companies fell to 607 in 9 months from 1,670 in FY25
Major IT services companies have seen a significant decline in certified PERM labor applications, a key step for employment-based green cards in the US. This drop follows a suspension of processing by the US administration, impacting firms like TCS, Wipro, and Infosys.
Why it matters
The suspension of PERM processing directly impacts the talent pipeline and operational strategies of global IT firms heavily reliant on US-based labor.
BENGALURU: IT firms had shrugged off concerns over their dependence on the US green-card route well before the US administration announced the suspension of PERM processing, with certified applications already declining sharply.Thirteen major IT services companies recorded 607 certified permanent labour certification (PERM) applications in the first nine months of FY26, compared with 1,670 in FY25 and 1,756 in FY24, according to Kotak Institutional Equities. Kotak has reported certified PERM applications across major IT services companies with Sep fiscal year-ends.The decline comes as the US administration has suspended new and pending PERM applications involving TCS, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Wipro, Cognizant and Capgemini. PERM is a key labour-certification stage in the process of obtaining employment-based green cards.TCS recorded just two certifications in the first nine months of FY26, against 505 in FY25 and 597 in FY24. Wipro also had two certifications, compared with 206 in FY25.
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