The United States is planning a major update to its employment-based green card system after more than 20 years.
The proposed changes focus on the PERM (Permanent Labor Certification) programme, which companies use to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency in the US.
The US Department of Labor says the current system was created in 2004 and no longer matches today’s digital hiring environment.
The new reforms aim to modernise the process, improve monitoring, and ensure that American workers get priority before companies hire foreign professionals.
What Is the PERM Programme?
PERM is a required process for many employment-based green card applications.
Before sponsoring a foreign employee, a company must prove that there are no qualified and available US workers who can fill the position.
To complete the PERM process, employers must:
Advertise the job opening.
Conduct recruitment efforts.
Maintain records of the hiring process.
Show that hiring a foreign worker is necessary.
After approval, the employer can move ahead with the employee’s green card sponsorship.
What Changes Are Being Considered?
The US Department of Labor is planning several updates to make the PERM process more suitable for today’s job market.
Possible changes may include:
Updated job advertising rules.
Stricter checks of recruitment records.
More detailed proof of labour shortages.
Greater oversight of employer hiring practices.
The main goal of these changes is to ensure that companies make genuine efforts to hire American workers before sponsoring foreign employees.
Officials believe the updated system will improve transparency and reduce misuse of the employment-based immigration process.
How Will Indian Professionals Be Affected?
Indian professionals are expected to closely follow these proposed changes because they make up one of the largest groups of employment-based green card applicants in the US.
The reforms will not directly change green card quotas or country limits.
However, stricter PERM requirements could increase paperwork for employers and may slow down the sponsorship process.
Companies may need to spend more time documenting their recruitment efforts before filing green card applications.
This comes at a time when many Indian applicants are already dealing with long waiting periods due to visa backlogs and employment-based immigration restrictions.
What Happens Next?
The proposed PERM changes are still under consideration and must go through the official rulemaking process before they become final.
Employers, immigration experts, and industry groups will likely get a chance to share their views before the new rules are implemented.
If approved, these reforms would become the first major update to the PERM programme since 2004 and could significantly change how companies sponsor foreign workers for US permanent residency.
While the aim is to create a more modern and fair system, employers and applicants will be closely watching how these changes affect future green card applications.
