{"id":371610,"date":"2026-09-11T21:06:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=371610"},"modified":"2026-09-11T21:06:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:36:39","slug":"what-is-perm-why-does-it-matter-for-indian-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/what-is-perm-why-does-it-matter-for-indian-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"What is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source:<\/strong> The post \u201cWhat is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?\u201d <\/strong>has been created based on “US suspends Cognizant\u2019s Green Card filings: What is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?\u201d<\/strong> published in \u201cIndian Express\u201d on 11th September 2026.<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus: <\/strong>GS-3-Economy<\/p>\n

Context: <\/strong>PERM, or Program Electronic Review Management, is a system through which US employers generally obtain labour certification before sponsoring a foreign worker for an employment-based Green Card. The process seeks to ensure that employing a foreign worker permanently does not adversely affect the jobs, wages and working conditions of US workers.<\/p>\n

About Program Electronic Review Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. PERM is an employer-driven process<\/strong> in which the US employer files the labour certification application on behalf of the foreign worker.<\/li>\n
  2. Before filing the PERM application, the employer must obtain a prevailing wage<\/strong> determination for the concerned position.<\/li>\n
  3. The employer must undertake prescribed recruitment<\/strong> to demonstrate that employing a foreign worker will not adversely affect the employment opportunities of US workers.<\/li>\n
  4. Once the US Department of Labor certifies the application, the employer can proceed to the subsequent stages of the employment-based Green Card process<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  5. The date on which the Labour Department accepts the labour certification application generally becomes the worker\u2019s priority date, which determines their position in the Green Card queue.<\/li>\n
  6. The priority date is particularly important for Indian workers because demand for employment-based Green Cards from India is much higher than their availability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Difference between PERM and H-1B<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. The H-1B is a temporary, non-immigrant work<\/strong> visa that allows US employers to employ foreign professionals in speciality occupations.<\/li>\n
    2. PERM, in contrast, is part of the process through which an employer seeks permanent residency<\/strong> for a foreign worker.<\/li>\n
    3. The H-1B therefore provides a temporary employment pathway, <\/strong>whereas PERM facilitates the transition towards an employment-based Green Card.<\/li>\n
    4. The two processes can operate simultaneously<\/strong> because an Indian professional may work in the US on an H-1B visa while their employer separately sponsors them for a Green Card through PERM.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    5. A suspension of PERM filings by itself does not cancel an employee\u2019s existing<\/strong> H-1B status or an already-issued Green Card.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Implications for Indian Workers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. The suspension of Cognizant\u2019s PERM filings<\/strong> can delay the Green Card process for employees whose cases have not yet reached the PERM filing stage.<\/li>\n
      2. Such employees cannot obtain a new priority date<\/strong> and therefore cannot move forward in the employer-sponsored Green Card process while the suspension continues.<\/li>\n
      3. The impact is particularly serious for Indian workers<\/strong> because they already face a substantial backlog in employment-based Green Card categories.<\/li>\n
      4. In the September 2026 U.S.A Visa Bulletin, the EB-2 category for India <\/strong>was listed as unavailable for final action, while the EB-3 final-action date was January 1, 2014.<\/li>\n
      5. Country-wise limits on employment-based<\/strong> Green Cards further contribute to the prolonged waiting period<\/strong> faced by Indian applicants.<\/li>\n
      6. The suspension can create difficulties for some H-1B workers approaching the normal six-year limit<\/strong> because certain extensions beyond six years depend on timely progress in the labour-certification process.<\/li>\n
      7. Workers who already have approved petitions<\/strong> and are waiting because an immigrant visa number is unavailable are in a different position and may, subject to applicable rules, qualify for H-1B extensions of up to three years at a time.<\/li>\n
      8. The issue is significant for Indian professionals because Cognizant had more than 2,50,000 employees<\/strong> based in India at the end of 2025, meaning that Indian workers could constitute a significant share of those affected by prolonged restrictions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Broader Significance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. The action against Cognizant is part of a broader U.S.A crackdown<\/strong> on employment-based immigration and increased scrutiny of the H-1B and PERM programmes.<\/li>\n
        2. U.S.A authorities are investigating allegations <\/strong>such as fraudulent filings, wage undercutting and displacement of American workers.<\/li>\n
        3. The increased scrutiny is particularly important for India <\/strong>because Indian professionals constitute a large share of H-1B beneficiaries and employment-based Green Card applicants.<\/li>\n
        4. Prolonged restrictions could affect the career mobility of Indian IT professionals<\/strong> and create greater uncertainty for Indian technology and IT services companies operating in the US.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. U.S.A should ensure that immigration enforcement remains transparent<\/strong> and targeted at genuine violations without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate Green Card applications.<\/li>\n
          2. U.S.A authorities should provide timely clarification regarding the allegations, duration and scope of the PERM suspension<\/strong> so that affected workers and employers can plan accordingly.<\/li>\n
          3. India should engage diplomatically with the U.S.A to seek predictable, fair and transparent procedures<\/strong> for Indian professionals using H-1B and employment-based Green Card pathways.<\/li>\n
          4. Indian IT companies should strengthen their compliance mechanisms and ensure accurate wage <\/strong>reporting, recruitment practices and documentation to prevent allegations of fraud or misuse of immigration programmes.<\/li>\n
          5. Indian professionals should develop advanced skills in areas <\/strong>such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors and other emerging technologies to improve their global employability.<\/li>\n
          6. India should create more high-value employment opportunities domestically<\/strong> so that skilled professionals have attractive career options within the country.<\/li>\n
          7. Both countries should maintain regular institutional dialogue on skilled mobility<\/strong> because the movement of professionals can promote technological cooperation, innovation and economic growth in both countries.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Conclusion: <\/strong>PERM is an important pathway through which the temporary employment of foreign professionals can eventually lead to permanent residency in the U.S.A. The suspension of PERM filings does not automatically terminate existing H-1B visas, but it can delay Green Card applications and create additional uncertainty for workers approaching H-1B time limits. Therefore, a balanced approach combining strict action against fraudulent practices with predictable immigration procedures is necessary to protect genuine workers while addressing legitimate U.S.A labour-market concerns.<\/p>\n

            Question: <\/strong>What is PERM certification in the U.S.A immigration system? How is it different from the H-1B visa, and what are its implications for Indian workers? Discuss.<\/p>\n

            Source: <\/strong>Indian Express<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Source: The post \u201cWhat is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?\u201d has been created based on “US suspends Cognizant\u2019s Green Card filings: What is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?\u201d published in \u201cIndian Express\u201d on 11th September 2026. UPSC Syllabus: GS-3-Economy Context: PERM, or Program Electronic Review Management, is a system… Continue reading What is PERM, why does it matter for Indian workers?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[216,8184,10500],"class_list":["post-371610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-indian-economy","tag-indian-express","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371610\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}