What was announced on October 8
The U.S. administration announced on October 8, 2026 that eight technology and consulting employers were being suspended from the Permanent Labor Certification program, known as PERM. Reuters reported Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling’s statement that the department would stop accepting new and processing pending permanent labor-certification applications involving the companies. The affected names are Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.
The announcement concerns an employer-sponsored step toward permanent residence. It is not a statement that every immigration benefit connected with an employee has been cancelled. Microsoft told AP that most of its recent H-1B filings were extensions or status changes for existing employees, and that new-employee filings concerned people already legally in the United States. The government cited alleged fraud and investigations; those allegations should not be described as findings of criminal guilt. This article records the announced suspension as reported on October 8 and checked October 9, rather than treating it as a newly enacted statute.
PERM is the labor-certification stage
DOL explains that a permanent labor certification allows an employer to sponsor a foreign worker for a permanent job and is required before an immigration petition in most cases using that route. The certification addresses the availability of qualified U.S. workers and the effect of the proposed employment on wages and working conditions. It is not itself a green card, visa or work permit.
The employer normally manages the prevailing-wage, recruitment and certification process. An employee should ask the employer’s immigration team whether there is an actual filed ETA-9089 application, a case number and a pending decision, or only a preliminary plan. Those situations are different, and a verbal statement that a green-card case has “started” does not identify its legal stage.
Four documents or stages that should not be confused
USCIS’s I-140 instructions expressly distinguish petition approval from permanent residence and employment authorization. Even an approved I-140 is not, by itself, permission to stay or work. Conversely, a pause at the PERM stage should not be described as an automatic cancellation of a separate H-1B approval, an already approved petition or an existing green card without a specific agency action.
| Stage | Purpose | What to verify now |
|---|---|---|
| H-1B petition / I-94 | Temporary employment classification and authorised period of stay | Employer, validity dates, most recent approval and I-94 record |
| PERM / ETA-9089 | DOL labor certification for the offered permanent position | Whether filed, pending or certified; exact employer entity and case number |
| Form I-140 | USCIS immigrant-worker petition | Receipt or approval, category, priority date and any notice |
| Form I-485 or consular immigrant visa | Application stage for permanent residence | Actual filing, visa availability, notices, travel and work documents |
If your labor certification is pending
Ask the employer or its authorised attorney to confirm whether the filed case falls within the announced suspension and whether DOL has sent a case-specific notice. Keep that response with the filing confirmation and existing correspondence. Do not withdraw a case, submit duplicate filings or assume an extension has been granted because a headline says processing has paused.
The employee may not control the employer’s FLAG account. DOL’s public case-status tools can help identify a recorded status, but an unchanged screen does not override a notice or establish that processing has resumed. Ask for dated information from the team handling the filing and obtain individual legal advice where timing could affect status or future eligibility.
If PERM was certified or I-140 is already filed
Tell the attorney exactly which event has occurred, rather than grouping everything under “green-card processing.” The public announcement’s stated scope is new and pending labor certifications. The sources reviewed for this report do not establish a blanket revocation of all previously certified PERM cases or approved I-140 petitions. That limitation is not a guarantee that an individual case will be unaffected by later notices, investigations or other requirements.
A certified labor case can involve filing deadlines, and a pending or approved I-140 can involve employer, job-offer and visa-availability questions. Changing employers may create additional issues. Preserve the documents and have a qualified immigration attorney assess those questions before making a transfer, travel or filing decision. We cannot decide an individual’s eligibility from an employer’s name.
A practical checklist for the next conversation
- Identify the exact petitioning employer or legal entity on each filing; do not rely only on a corporate brand.
- Create a stage-by-stage list: PERM case, I-140 receipt or approval, I-485 receipt if any, H-1B approval, I-94 and work/travel documents.
- Record expiry dates and the dates on actual agency notices. A processing pause is not an automatic status extension.
- Ask who is monitoring DOL notices, what has been confirmed in writing and when the next update will be provided.
- Seek licensed legal advice promptly if a validity date, employment change, travel plan or filing deadline is approaching.
- Keep sensitive records in a secure personal archive. Do not post receipt numbers, passport details or immigration identifiers in public comments.
What remains uncertain
The reports reviewed do not provide a fixed end date for the suspension or a universal workaround for affected employees. We have not verified a case-specific notice for every employer entity. We will update this article when a written implementation notice, a material court order or an official change establishes a different scope. An investigation, an announced suspension and a final debarment or court ruling are distinct events.
This is general educational reporting, not legal advice or a determination of immigration status. Original Documentation is an independent service and is not affiliated with DOL, DHS or USCIS. Neither this article nor a document-preparation consultation guarantees an approval or substitutes for representation by a licensed immigration attorney.