Archive image: a building on the Infosys campus in Bengaluru, India, photographed in 2007. Credit: Amit (proxygeek), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; version cropped by Nkon21. Photograph source.
Infosys said on Saturday, October 10, that it does not expect a material impact on the organization from the suspension of applications under the U.S. permanent labor certification program, known as PERM. The position appears in a stock exchange filing and was also reported by Reuters.
In the document, the company acknowledges that the measure covers new and pending applications from certain companies, including Infosys itself. It expressed its willingness to respond to U.S. authorities and said it would make further disclosures if necessary.
What the certification allows
PERM forms part of the process through which employers sponsor immigration for permanent jobs in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employer, rather than the employee, must apply for the certification.
The review seeks to establish whether able, qualified, available and willing U.S. workers can fill the position in the intended area of employment. It also examines whether hiring a foreign worker would adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers in similar roles.
This certification does not itself grant permanent residency. The department explains that after labor certification is approved, the employer still needs to submit the immigration stage to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS.
Business effects and workers’ circumstances differ
CNA reported, through its own reporting and interviews with analysts, that a prolonged suspension could increase hiring costs and make it harder to retain staff. The report distinguishes PERM from the H-1B temporary work visa, which is not automatically canceled by this measure.
Infosys’s assessment of its operations therefore should not be interpreted as a guarantee that individual residency plans will proceed without delays. The company itself presents its impact forecast as a statement subject to risks and uncertainties.
What is confirmed
Saturday’s new development is Infosys’s formal statement. It sets out the company’s assessment and willingness to cooperate; it does not announce the resumption of applications or replace a decision by the authorities on the program.
