U.S. Pauses PERM Green-Card Processing for Microsoft, Adobe and Six IT Firms: What Applicants Should Check

On October 8, 2026, the administration announced a pause affecting PERM labor-certification applications filed by eight technology companies. The move puts a specific part of some employer-sponsored green-card cases in question, but it does not by itself mean that all immigration processing or hiring at those companies has stopped.

For applicants, the practical issue is whether a particular PERM case is affected and what that means for its next steps. The distinction matters: the reported PERM suspension for tech companies is not the same as a general suspension of H-1B visas.

What changed on October 8

The Department of Labor was reported to have stopped accepting new PERM applications from Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini, while also pausing processing of applications already in the pipeline. The announcement did not give a clear end date for the pause.

Officials alleged misuse of the PERM program. Those claims should be treated as allegations, not as established findings; the pause itself does not determine whether a company violated the rules. Microsoft published a comment on October 8, but applicants should look to the company’s statement and subsequent official updates for its position rather than assume that all named employers responded in the same way.

If your case is connected to one of these employers, ask the recruiter or immigration attorney whether your PERM application has been filed, whether it is affected by the pause, and what the employer knows about timing. Do not assume that a job offer or an individual case has been canceled based only on the announcement.

PERM is not the same as an H-1B visa

PERM is generally an employer-led labor-certification step in many employment-based green-card cases. The Labor Department describes the filing as the employer’s responsibility. A PERM pause therefore concerns that certification process; it is not, by itself, a decision on every later step in a green-card case.

The October 8 action concerned PERM processing, not a blanket suspension of H-1B petitions or all hiring at the named companies. Individual circumstances and other immigration steps can differ, so ask your employer or an immigration attorney which process applies to you and whether the pause changes your case’s expected next step.

Who may need to reassess a job move

On October 8, 2026, the Labor Department’s announced pause affected new PERM applications from Microsoft, Adobe and six IT services firms, as well as processing of applications already in the pipeline. For workers with a pending PERM case tied to one of those employers, that may create uncertainty about timing. It does not, by itself, establish what will happen to any individual case; applicants should confirm their case status directly with the employer’s immigration team or counsel. Axios reported on the announcement.

PERM is a labor-certification step in some employer-sponsored green-card cases, not the same thing as an H-1B visa or other permission to work. A candidate weighing an offer should therefore ask separately about the role’s work-authorization requirements and the employer’s ability to pursue permanent-residency sponsorship. This PERM suspension tech companies story does not change ordinary work authorization for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

What applicants can do now

Ask the recruiter or employer’s immigration team which sponsorship process the position supports, whether the company’s PERM pause applies to that process, and what the employer can currently confirm about your particular case. If your application is already underway, get case-specific guidance from a qualified immigration attorney rather than treating a headline as a decision about your status or timeline. The Department of Labor’s PERM program page explains the labor-certification program.

Keep your résumé and application materials focused on relevant skills, experience and results. Raise work-authorization questions through the employer’s designated application or recruiting process, and avoid assuming that a pause in one green-card step automatically answers questions about a separate work-authorization process. Microsoft also published a comment on October 8; applicants can review the company’s statement alongside direct guidance from their employer.

What Job Seekers Should Do Next

• Confirm whether the employer is among the companies named in the announcement and whether your role’s sponsorship process is affected.
• Ask whether your PERM application has been filed, is awaiting processing, or has not yet been started.
• Request a clear explanation of how the pause relates—or does not relate—to your current work authorization.
• Before accepting, rejecting or leaving a job based on your case, consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific circumstances.
• Keep application materials centered on relevant qualifications and use the employer’s designated channel for work-authorization questions.

Sources

• Trump's foreign worker crackdown comes for Microsoft, Adobe, IT firms (Axios, 2026-10-08)
• H-1B visas aren't suspended. Here's what Vance is really targeting (Axios, 2026-10-08)
• Permanent Labor Certification (U.S. Department of Labor, 2026-10-10)
• Microsoft Comment on Recent Immigration Questions (Microsoft, 2026-10-08)