Fresh processing data released by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on 8 July 2026 shows analysts are still reviewing PERM labour-certification filings from June 2025—confirming a full 12-month bottleneck. PERM is the mandatory first step for most employment-based Green Cards; delays here cascade into I-140 immigrant petitions and adjustment of status filings. For India-born applicants, who already face multi-year waits because of per-country limits, the news is a double blow. Audit cases are even further behind at December 2025, while PERM reconsideration requests sit at February 2026. Prevailing wage determinations (PWDs) are moving a little faster—the DOL is issuing PWDs for April 2026 filings—but that provides scant relief when certifications themselves are gridlocked. Immigration counsel in Bengaluru and Hyderabad say employers are revisiting global mobility strategies: relocating staff to Canada under CUSMA inter-company provisions, or moving roles to Mexico and the UAE where talent can be stationed until U.S. numbers advance. Some tech majors are re-sequencing L-1A manager transfers to buy time, but warn that ageing-out children under the Child Status Protection Act remain a pressing concern.
![Year-Long PERM Backlog Continues to Stall U.S. Green Cards for Indian Professionals]()
For employers and employees navigating these shifting visa strategies, VisaHQ’s India office can streamline alternative work-permit applications, document legalization, and travel visas worldwide. Their online platform offers step-by-step guidance and concierge support, helping companies quickly pivot talent to Canada, Mexico, the UAE or any other jurisdiction while U.S. filings are pending.
The Trump administration has floated PERM ‘modernisation’—potentially rewriting recruitment steps and wage calculations—but details are thin and stakeholders fear new rules could front-load yet more compliance costs. Meanwhile, bipartisan bills to eliminate per-country caps have stalled in Congress. With India supplying roughly 75 percent of U.S. H-1B holders, prolonged PERM stagnation risks accelerating the talent diversion to friendlier jurisdictions, eroding America’s competitiveness in advanced engineering and AI research.
For employers and employees navigating these shifting visa strategies, VisaHQ’s India office can streamline alternative work-permit applications, document legalization, and travel visas worldwide. Their online platform offers step-by-step guidance and concierge support, helping companies quickly pivot talent to Canada, Mexico, the UAE or any other jurisdiction while U.S. filings are pending.
The Trump administration has floated PERM ‘modernisation’—potentially rewriting recruitment steps and wage calculations—but details are thin and stakeholders fear new rules could front-load yet more compliance costs. Meanwhile, bipartisan bills to eliminate per-country caps have stalled in Congress. With India supplying roughly 75 percent of U.S. H-1B holders, prolonged PERM stagnation risks accelerating the talent diversion to friendlier jurisdictions, eroding America’s competitiveness in advanced engineering and AI research.
