Nepali professionals who work at eight big US technology and IT firms may face delays in their green card plans, but their current H-1B status is not automatically affected.
The US Department of Labor announced on October 8,2026, that it will stop
accepting new applications and stop processing pending ones under a key employer-sponsored green card step for eight companies.
US officials linked the move to investigation into alleged misuse of foreign-worker hiring programs. They have argued that some employers used these programs in ways that disadvantaged American workers. Microsoft said it is cooperating and that many of its H-1B filings were existing employees changing or extending status. Adobe had not immediately responded in the reports.
What is paused
The step is called PERM, short for Program Electronic Review Management.
It is the Labor Department's permanent labor certification. In most employer-sponsored EB-2 and EB-3 green-card cases, it comes first. The employer shows that hiring the foreign worker meets labor-market rules. After approval, the employer generally files an immigrant petition, Form I-140, with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The pause affects the PERM step for the named employers. It does not cancel all immigration benefits for their workers. Some employment based categories do not need PERM at all.
Your H-1B is a separate matter
H-1B is a temporary work visa. A green card gives permanent residency. The reported action does not by itself cancel an existing H-1B or end a worker’s permission to work. How a worker is affected depends on the stage of the case:
- No green-card process started: The pause does not cancel the current H-1B status.
- PERM pending: The case may be frozen.
- Employer planned to start PERM: The company may not be able to file while the pause lasts.
- PERM approved and I-140 pending or approved: The effect depends on the case stage and any further action.
- Already a green-card holder: The pause does not by itself end permanent-resident status.
What workers can do
Workers should ask their employer in writing whether a PERM case has been filed for them and what stage it is at. They should also check their current status and work authorization separately, including the I-94 record and visa documents. They should keep records and should not resign, change jobs or travel abroad only because of claims on social media.
Consult a licensed immigration attorney for your specific case. Official information is on the US Department of Labor’s PERM pages, and USCIS has tools to check the status of applications it handles.
