US Suspends Cognizant, Cloudera PERM Filings Amid Visa Fraud Probe

The US Department of Labour has suspended permanent labour certification filings by Cognizant and Cloudera as the Donald Trump administration investigates alleged fraud involving employment visa programmes.

The suspension concerns PERM, a process considered a first step towards acquiring a green card in the US. According to PTI, US Department of Labour Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito announced the action on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), saying the investigation into the two companies was conducted in coordination with the White House Fraud Task Force and other officials.

“Threats to American workers will NOT be tolerated,” Mr. D’Esposito said.

“Fighting fraud is a TEAM SPORT. @Sonderling47 and I are for real. @Cognizant’s PERM filings are suspended. @DOLOIG is on the hunt,” Mr. D’Esposito said, referring to Keith Sonderling, Acting Secretary, Department of Labour.

“Alongside @WHFraudTF, we’re following facts, fraud and finances. Handcuffs await," Mr. D’Esposito said.

What Is PERM?

PERM, or Program Electronic Review Management, is the process through which US employers seek approval from the Department of Labour to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.

As part of the process, employers generally must demonstrate that no qualified and available US workers exist for the position and that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages or working conditions of American workers.

PTI reported that the Trump administration launched a major investigation in July into alleged fraud involving the H-1B and PERM employment visa programmes.

Cognizant’s H-1B Visa Approvals

Cognizant was founded in Chennai in 1994 and is now headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

As of June 30, Cognizant had received approvals for 3,510 H-1B visa petitions, compared with 9,413 in 2020, according to data shared by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), PTI reported.