TCS Says US Green Card Curbs Won’t Affect Hiring Plans, To Recruit 15,000 Over Five Years

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said on Friday that the US government’s suspension of green card-related labour certification applications for the company would not affect its workforce strategy or customer engagements, reaffirming its plan to hire 15,000 employees in the United States over the next five years.

TCS is among eight technology companies suspended from the US Department of Labour’s Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme amid the Trump administration’s wider crackdown on employment-based immigration. The move also affects Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Cognizant, Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini. US officials have cited alleged fraud and concerns over American workers losing jobs.

TCS Says PERM Applications Were In Single Digits

In a statement, TCS said it had taken note of the US government’s announcement and would comply with directives issued by the Department of Labour.

“Our workforce strategy in the US is anchored in hiring local talent, supported by a robust campus recruitment model,” the company said, adding that it had built a substantial local workforce across 31 offices and delivery centres in the country.

“As we had announced earlier, we intend to hire an additional 15,000 people in the US over the next five years, to further augment our local workforce,” it said.

TCS added that its PERM applications had been in single digits over the past two years, which it said was why the suspension was unlikely to affect its workforce plans or customer engagements.

What Is The PERM Programme?

The PERM process is a key step for employers seeking employment-based Green Cards for foreign workers. It generally requires employers to demonstrate that hiring a foreign national for a permanent position will not adversely affect the wages, working conditions or job opportunities of qualified US workers.

US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the department would not accept new or process pending permanent labour certification applications involving the suspended companies. The action follows federal investigations into alleged misuse of employment-based immigration programmes. The administration has not publicly detailed company-specific findings for all eight firms.

The suspension affects the PERM route to permanent residency but does not, by itself, cancel existing H-1B visas or Green Cards. However, it could delay permanent residency applications for affected employees who depend on their employers to initiate the process.