TCS, Infosys, Wipro, others' PERM request decline
Washington - Leading global IT firms such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL have seen a decline in applications for green cards through the US permanent labour certification program, known as PERM. The US Department of Labour suspended these eight firms from the PERM program due to concerns that it was limiting opportunities for American workers.
However, the impact on the companies may be limited as PERM applications by Indian IT firms have been dropping in recent years. Tata Consultancy Services, for instance, filed only two PERM applications in 2026, a significant decrease from 513 in 2025 and 1,804 in 2024. Wipro also saw a reduction in filings, from 257 in 2024 to 523 in 2025.
The suspension of the program may not significantly affect the functioning of these companies, according to former HCL Technologies CEO Vineet Nayar. Indian IT companies now account for less than 1,400 of the 117,849 PERM certifications issued in the US last year, making up less than 1% of the total. Both NASSCOM and TCS have stated that the decline in PERM applications reflects a shift towards local hiring and expanding the domestic workforce in the US, reducing the reliance on H-1B visas.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
