The Department of Labor's proposed rule to modernize the PERM labor certification program has cleared White House review. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs concluded its review on October 23, 2026, finding the proposal consistent with change. The rule, titled "Modernizing the Labor Market Test and Improving Protections for U.S....
H-1B status is generally limited to six years. Many workers reach that point while a green card case is still moving through the Department of Labor or USCIS, and a delay at the PERM stage, such as the October 2026 suspension of eight large employers from the program, makes the question more...
On October 8, 2026, the administration announced that it was suspending Microsoft, Adobe, and other employers from PERM, the labor certification step in many employment-based green card cases. ABC News reports that Vice President Vance said the suspension will last as long as needed. TechCrunch adds that Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata,...
On August 4, 2026, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced a $3.2 million settlement with OpenAI and its former subsidiary Statsig over how the companies recruited for a small number of positions tied to green card sponsorship. Fewer than ten roles were at issue, but the size of the penalty signals...
On July 8, 2026, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General announced a nationwide initiative to investigate fraud and strengthen compliance oversight across employment-based visa programs. This is a separate effort from Project Firewall, the H-1B enforcement initiative the Wage and Hour Division launched last September. The OIG's initiative casts a...
DHS, DOL, and the State Department released their 2026 regulatory agendas on July 6, giving employers an early look at what's still in the pipeline for the rest of the year and into 2027. The duration of status change and the public charge rescission we've already covered are now finalized. What follows...
Effective with the Department of Labor's 7/2026-6/2027 occupational data series, O*NET reclassified Computer Systems Analysts, SOC code 15-1211.00, from Job Zone 3 back to Job Zone 4. It sounds like a small administrative shift, but for employers sponsoring H-1B workers or filing PERM applications in this occupation, it changes the baseline USCIS...
Employers sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residence through the PERM labor certification process should be aware of a growing trend at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Recent Requests for Information (RFIs) suggest that DOL is taking a closer look at whether sponsoring employers can demonstrate their ability to pay the offered...
A recent Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against Cloudera is drawing significant attention within the employment-based immigration community and may signal increased government scrutiny of PERM recruitment practices. The case highlights growing enforcement efforts involving employer hiring procedures, labor certification compliance, and recruitment transparency.
For employers sponsoring foreign workers...
Employers sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residence through the PERM labor certification process are facing increased scrutiny. Recent trends suggest that applications are being denied more frequently, often due to technical errors or insufficient documentation.
Understanding these risks can help employers avoid costly delays and improve the chances of...
