GTech will seek Centre’s intervention as US green card hits IT giants

Representative image. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

KOCHI

GTech (Group of Technology Companies), a non-profit industry organization representing Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Management (BPM) organizations in Kerala and responsible for the majority of software exporters, is approaching the Indian government to address its US counterpart’s concerns about the implications of the Trump administration’s recent decision to suspend the green card program for major Indian IT firms.

The eight major technology and IT services firms suspended from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program include Indian tech giants Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies and Cognizant. The move will affect new employment-based green card applications, including pending applications from these companies. Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini are the other three companies affected.

“This move is a big blow to Indian companies and their employees working there. It pours cold water on the dreams of thousands of employees, many of whom have been eagerly waiting for their green cards for years. Since this is a US government decision that affects not only Indian companies but also US firms like Microsoft, we have no choice but to approach the Indian government for intervention,” said Jijo G. John, Chairman of the Board of GTech G. John.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified that the suspension of PERM applications does not in itself affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents. However, it could affect the permanent residence or green card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.

Progressive Techies, an IT workers’ collective, however, tried to find a silver lining in what it admitted was bad news for workers working in the US.

But Nandakishore Harikumar, a tech entrepreneur, believed that was a false assumption, given the difficulty of finding so many high-paying jobs and the wider economic impact. He pointed out that, for example, investment in the real estate sector is largely driven by remittances from expatriates based in the US, Europe and West Asia. “It remains to be seen whether the US administration will go all the way. With Indians dominating the technology teams of major US tech firms, lower costs compared to local labor and the lure of a huge Indian market, this move will hurt the US as well,” he said.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 13:19 IST