PERM Suspension: Which Employers Were Named, What It Signals, and What We Do Not Know

On October 8, 2026, the administration announced PERM suspensions for named employers. We already covered what was said in PERM Suspensions and the Visa-Fraud Announcement. This article does something different. It looks at who was named, what the list does and does not tell us, and what our own reading is, clearly marked as opinion.

General information, not legal advice. We are not an authority on how the suspension will be applied, and the details may change.

Who was reported as named

Outlets differ on the full list. The reports we read name Microsoft and Adobe, plus six outsourcing and consulting firms, reported as Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. Treat the list as unsettled until the Department of Labor publishes it.

Reported effect: no new PERM filings from the named employers and no further processing of their pending cases. Reports did not say how long this lasts, or whether already-approved cases are affected.

How the named employers compare with the biggest H-1B sponsors

One article, citing USCIS data as of June 2025 (it gives no fiscal year), lists the top employers by approved H-1B petitions.

Two things stand out. First, the sponsoring base is broad, including large American employers. Second, the reported suspension list is not a ranking by size. Amazon, Meta, Apple and Google, four of the six largest, were not named in the reports we read.

So "they went after the biggest sponsors" does not describe the list. Something else is driving who was picked.

Our reading (opinion)

This section is our interpretation, not a reported fact.

We think the pattern points to employer behaviour, not to H-1B volume. The administration's stated framing was replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign workers, with Microsoft's layoffs cited next to its visa and green card numbers. The other named firms are mostly in the outsourcing and consulting model, where workers are placed with client companies. Both could fit a theory that the targets are employers the administration thinks are displacing workers.

We also think the choice of PERM may matter. PERM is run by the Department of Labor, and Labor Secretary Sonderling took part in the announcement. A suspension of PERM can be applied employer by employer, without a rule change. That would make it a flexible lever. This is inference from who announced it.

What we would not conclude from this: that the aim is to end H-1B filings overall. The reported action is about the PERM step for named employers. A broader aim could be true, but nothing we have seen shows it.

Where this reading could be wrong

• The list is not settled. If it changes, any pattern we see changes with it.
• The fraud allegations were made at a press conference. Reports note they were not independently verified, and the companies can respond or challenge.
• We do not know the legal basis, how long it lasts, or whether other employers will be added.

What it means at each stage

None of this has been confirmed by official guidance. These are the questions to ask, not predictions.

If you are on an H-1B and your green card depends on PERM, our guide on the hidden cost of PERM explains why your employer's decisions matter for your extensions too.

What to do now

• Ask your employer in writing whether your company is named and what its plan is.
• Keep a copy of every approval, receipt and notice, and your own work-history evidence.
• Do not change jobs or file anything on the strength of rumours. Speak to an immigration attorney first.
• Know which of your routes do not use PERM. EB-1A and EB-2 NIW are self-petitions and O-1 is a temporary visa. They are not part of this action, though they are not immune from policy change, and EB-1A approval rates have fallen sharply (see EB-1A Approvals Are Collapsing).

If you want to see whether a route that does not depend on an employer fits your background, Meritocrat offers a free assessment report for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1. You add your context, go through guided steps, and get a report that maps your evidence and shows the gaps. Start from the Solutions page.

Sources

• News reports of the October 8, 2026 announcement, including Microsoft's statement.
• USCIS H-1B approval data for top employers, as cited in YourStory, June 2025.
• Our earlier post on the announcement.

Figures come from secondary sources. Check the Department of Labor and USCIS for official notices. This article is general information and is not legal advice.