Analysis of Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) data highlights a steep decline in applications from Indian tech leaders. Tata Consultancy Services, for instance, submitted only two applications for the 2026 fiscal year, a sharp drop from 1,804 in 2024. HCL similarly slowed its filings, moving from 323 in 2025 to 59 this year. Capgemini and other industry peers have shown comparable downward trends, signaling a shift in how these firms manage their workforce pipelines.
Industry representatives suggest the suspension will have a negligible effect on day-to-day operations. NASSCOM noted that Indian tech companies have been actively reducing their reliance on H-1B visas by prioritizing local hiring within the United States. Former HCL CEO Vineet Nayar pointed out that Indian firms accounted for less than two percent of the 117,849 PERM certifications issued last year. With the transition from temporary visas to permanent residency already slowing, the suspension appears more symbolic than disruptive to the current business strategies of these global IT providers.
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