Indian IT Giants Radically Slash US Green Card and H-1B Applications Ahead of Policy Crackdown
Indian IT organizations have begun evaluating their immigration approaches in the US owing to the growing uncertainty in terms of employment-based visa regulations as well as immigration policy changes that have added to the complexity for technology companies. This change has highlighted the significance of H-1B visa applications as well as employment-based green cards, two key pathways through which Indian technology workers enter and establish themselves in the US.
Immigration planning for the larger Indian IT services providers is inextricably linked with staffing costs, contractual arrangements, and the availability of trained manpower across international geographies. Reduced visa sponsorship could indicate an overall trend toward hiring in-house in the US, increased offshore delivery, and leveraging distributed workforce models.
Indian IT Companies Cut Green Card Applications
According to recent information, major Indian IT firms have scaled down the use of the US employment-based green card system prior to the current policy decision. According to an article released on October 10, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) obtained only two PERM approvals in 2026 against 1,804 in the fiscal year 2024. Similarly, Wipro and Infosys have witnessed a significant fall in the number of PERM approvals.
This development is part of an ongoing shift in terms of work-force management, whereby organizations are engaging in local hires in the US, enlarging their delivery team in India, and extending or transferring visas of their workers rather than sponsoring new ones.
US Policy Crackdown Raises Fresh Concerns
The recent move was prompted by the US government suspending eight technology firms, including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech and Cognizant from the program called Permanent Labour Certification (PERM), which is one of the major components in green cards applications sponsored by employers.
The suspension does not lead to automatic cancellation of the existing H-1B visas. However, it leaves an uncertain future for those employees who rely on their employers’ applications for long-term stay.
What It Means for Indian IT Workers
It can become difficult for Indians working in IT to plan their career in America in the long term, as the individuals who are waiting to receive permanent residency will have to wait and the firms will look at other ways to do international assignments and recruit people.
In response, the industry will adopt measures including recruitment from local labor pools, offshore delivery, and cost of immigration issues. In the meantime, these developments have made it clear that one should know the difference between H-1B visas and employment-based green cards.
The lesser dependence of Indian IT firms on US visas is due to strategic considerations, among others, as well as changes in immigration policy. What its effects will be in the long run depends upon future policies, recruitment policies of the companies and skillful maneuvering by immigrants.
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