Overview
- Senior officials announced on Thursday that the Department of Labor will not accept or process any new or pending PERM permanent labor‑certification applications for Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini and several other firms.
- Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling framed the action as part of a Task Force to Eliminate Fraud campaign that cites alleged misrepresentations, mass H‑1B use and patterns of abuse in PERM filings.
- Labor’s inspector general said subpoenas have been served to nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, to probe alleged misuse of J‑1 exchange visitor visas and possible risks to federally funded research.
- The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $70,000 initial fee for an F‑1 student's Optional Practical Training program, a measure officials say is aimed at curbing fraud in student work placements.
- The suspensions halt green‑card sponsorship at the PERM stage but do not by themselves revoke existing H‑1B visas; industry groups and universities have warned of workforce and research disruption and legal challenges are expected.