TCS Still Plans to Hire 15,000 People in the US After Eight Firms Are Suspended From the Green Card PERM Step

Tata Consultancy Services does not expect its suspension from the PERM programme to affect its hiring plans or work with customers in the United States, and the company reiterated its previously announced intention to hire an additional 15,000 people in the United States over the next five years. The statement came a day after the US government suspended eight companies from the PERM programme, the US Department of Labor filing that in most instances comes before an employer can submit an immigration petition to USCIS. For Metaintro readers, the story splits into two groups with very different stakes, people already working in the US on visas at these companies, and US job seekers who could be hired by them.

What Did the Labor Department Announce on Thursday?

Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department won't accept or process any new applications under the program for a host of companies, including Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro and HCL, and that Microsoft and Adobe were also suspended due to multiple active federal investigations. That makes eight IT majors in all, namely Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini and Cognizant.

Sonderling said the department will "not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies," and Vice President JD Vance said the companies can no longer submit or have pending applications processed through the Permanent Labor Certification Program.

Sonderling framed it around volume, saying that "since 2009, just these companies alone have requested almost 3 million foreign workers" and that they received more than 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and over 100,000 permanent labour certifications, figures he characterised as jobs taken from American workers. The announcement came at a press conference on tackling visa fraud alongside Vance.

What Is PERM, and Why Does It Sit in Front of a Green Card?

A permanent labor certification allows an employer to hire a foreign worker to work permanently in the United States. In most instances, before a US employer can file an immigration petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it must obtain a certified labor certification application from the DOL's Employment and Training Administration.

The test at the heart of PERM is about US workers. The department must certify to the USCIS that there are not sufficient U.S. workers able, willing, qualified, and available to accept the job opportunity in the area of intended employment, and that hiring the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.

The process includes recruitment: the employer must request and receive a valid Prevailing Wage Determination from the NPWC, then complete pre-filing recruitment and notice of filing, if applicable before submitting the application. The required recruitment steps for PERM are determined by the type of occupations listed in 20 CFR 656.17 for non-professional and professional occupations and 20 CFR 656.18 for college and university teachers.

After certification, the employer can submit an immigration petition to USCIS. For someone already in the US, eligibility to adjust status depends on, among other things, whether the job offered to you in the Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker still exists with the employer that filed the Form I-140 on your behalf, and you plan to accept the job once USCIS approves your Form I-485. A suspension leaves the employer unable to complete that first step, which The Week described as a huge hurdle in continuing with a green card sponsorship for a foreign employee when Cognizant was suspended.

Our PERM applications were in single digits in the last two years and hence we do not expect the suspension of the program to impact our workforce strategy and customer engagements, TCS said in its statement on Friday.

Does the Suspension Touch Existing H-1B Visas?

Not by itself. India's foreign ministry said the suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.

The distinction matters because the two programs do different jobs. An H-1B is a temporary work visa, while PERM is the first step towards a permanent green card. Suspension from PERM is distinct from a blanket ban on H-1B visas or a company's ability to recruit US workers.

The decision is expected to affect thousands of Indian technology professionals who rely on employer-sponsored green cards for permanent residency in the US after entering on H-1B visas, DT Next reported.

It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme, India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement posted on X by Randhir Jaiswal on October 9, according to the LatestLY report.

India also called the move one that does not advance the shared ambitions of both countries, and on Vance's description of visa workers it objected that resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive.

What Did TCS Say About Its Own Filings and Hiring Plan?

TCS answered in an exchange filing, saying it would follow any directions issued by the US Department of Labor. TCS says the number of PERM applications it had filed had remained in single digits over the past two years.

TCS describes its US workforce strategy as anchored in hiring local talent, supported by a robust campus recruitment model, with a significant local workforce across 31 offices and delivery centres throughout the country.

On hiring, TCS plans to recruit another 15,000 people in the US over the next five years as it expands its local workforce. That is a company plan, not a count of open vacancies.

Industry body Nasscom said immigration and skilled talent mobility were distinct issues and should not be viewed through the same lens, and that Indian technology companies had reduced their dependence on H-1B visas, expanded local recruitment and built substantial workforces in the United States.

Is the 15,000 Hiring Plan New?

No. TCS reiterated its previously announced intention to hire 15,000 more people in the US. Around its December-quarter results, chief human resources officer Sudeep Kunnumal told The Times of India that TCS remains on track to hire about 15,000 people locally in the US over the next three to five years.

The two versions differ slightly. The earlier one was a window of three to five years, and TCS's Friday statement puts it at the next five years. Readers should treat the number as a restated plan rather than fresh hiring news.

Around those December-quarter results, Kunnumal said "in the current quarter, most requirements were met through local hiring." TCS's net headcount had declined by about 31,000 over the past two quarters by then.

How Can US Job Seekers Get Into TCS?

Applicants start on the TCS careers page for the United States and follow its Apply now for Careers link to TCS's applicant site, where open roles are searched. TCS, which has a plan to run as many AI agents as employees, offers staff support through upskilling and reskilling, and with opportunities to move across the business.

For students, TCS also has a program with the University of Cincinnati: in an April 15, 2026 release, TCS unveiled its new TCS My First AI Job skills training program in partnership with the University of Cincinnati and Salesforce, designed to give students skills certification in AI solutions, paid work experience, and a pathway to full-time roles at TCS upon graduation.

The program offers final-year students an intensive, three-month curriculum covering key technical, communication, and employability skills, and the partners said the curriculum will include a Salesforce course that offers undergraduate students an opportunity to join a fall co-op. TCS also opened a Salesforce Center of Excellence at its Global Delivery Center in Milford, Ohio, which TCS calls its largest delivery center in the United States. The program is meant to prepare students for potential employment opportunities at TCS, so it is a route in, not a guaranteed job.

What Did Vance Say About Microsoft, and How Did Microsoft Respond?

Vance singled out Microsoft, saying Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers last year while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards, and he said the administration is "going to deny them the ability to apply for these permanent residencies until they show that they are going to get serious about putting American workers first."

Microsoft answered with a figure that sounds similar, and the two should not be confused. Vance's figure refers to the firm's 6,000 layoffs in 2025. Microsoft's figure refers to visa filings, and it said "of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% percent were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees."

The rest of the statement matters for the debate. "The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come work for us, and they equal only 1% of our U.S. workforce," the company said, and the company maintains that the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans.

Vance also claimed that H-1B workers earned $20,000 less than American citizens in comparable roles, with the gap rising to $48,000 for those recruited through foreign outsourcing firms. Microsoft says, "We pay our H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work."

Has the Labor Department Done This Before?

Yes, with Cognizant in September and Cloudera in May. US Labour Department Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito said in a post on X that the PERM or the Permanent Labour Certification, applications submitted by Cognizant have been suspended. At that stage, workers with existing labour certifications are not immediately affected, The Week reported.

There is also a precedent with a set time limit. On May 12, 2026, the Department of Labor announced an enforcement action against Cloudera, and its Employment and Training Administration suspended processing of all permanent labor certification applications filed by, or on behalf of, Cloudera for 180 days. The department said an extension of the enforcement action is possible pending the results of a Department of Justice investigation.

What This Means for Job Seekers and Visa Holders, and What Should You Do Next?

The practical effect depends on which side of the hiring desk you are on. For visa holders at the eight firms, the ministry's position is that the suspension does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas. The green card track is where the pressure sits. The Labor Department will not accept new PERM applications from these firms, and Sonderling's quoted words also cover pending ones, so both people whose employer had not yet filed and people with a filing in the queue face a stalled first step.

• Check what stage your case is at. Ask your employer's immigration team or your own lawyer whether your labor certification was filed, pending or already certified. For the earlier Cognizant suspension, workers with existing labour certifications are not immediately affected, in The Week's assessment.
• Know the job-change rule if your case is further along. Even if you have a new job or employer, section 204(j) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the approved Form I-140 to remain valid for adjustment of status purposes if you submit evidence that the new job is in the same or a similar occupational classification as the job in the original Form I-140, and the Form I-485 you filed based on the Form I-140 remains unadjudicated for 180 days or more. You must also still meet the general adjustment rules, including that none of the applicable bars to adjustment of status apply. Get legal advice before acting on it.
• US job seekers, look at the local hiring. TCS plans to recruit another 15,000 people in the US over the next five years, and its open roles sit behind the Apply now for Careers link. Final-year University of Cincinnati students can look at the TCS My First AI Job program announced in April 2026. Cognizant, another of the eight named firms, set out plans for AI era roles and US graduate hiring.
• Do not read it as an H-1B ban. Suspension from PERM is distinct from a blanket ban on H-1B visas or a company's ability to recruit US workers.

Related Articles

• What TCS's Big AI Bet Means for IT Services Careers
• TCS and Infosys Face an AI Reckoning, What It Means for Millions of IT Jobs
• AI: The Unexpected Job Creator, Says TCS CEO
• Navigating Stricter US Green Card Rules for Foreign Workers
• Navigating the U.S. Job Market: The Impact of Changing Immigration Policies
• Amazon Resumes Green-Card Applications for Foreign Workers
• Microsoft Plans AI Driven Hiring After Layoffs
• Microsoft's First Voluntary Buyout Signals a New Tech Layoff Playbook for the AI Era
• Infosys Embraces Digital-First Hiring: No More Physical Offer Letters

People Also Asked

Q: Which companies were suspended from the PERM program?

A: The eight firms are Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini and Cognizant, with Microsoft and Adobe suspended due to multiple active federal investigations.

Q: Does the PERM suspension cancel H-1B visas?

A: Not by itself. India's foreign ministry says it does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.

Q: Is TCS still hiring in the US?

A: TCS says it plans to recruit another 15,000 people in the US over the next five years, a plan it had earlier described as about 15,000 people locally in the US over the next three to five years.

Know your rights. Metaintro brings together 50M jobs in one place. Create a free profile and start your search today.