Amazon and Google have stopped accepting green card applications for US immigrants in 2024. This happened because of layoffs in the tech industry, like at Microsoft. The competition for jobs is getting more challenging, especially for foreign workers. The Daily Guardian reported this.
This pause in green card applications could make it even harder for people from other countries to get jobs in the US, especially in tech. Both Amazon and Google won’t be accepting PERM applications until next year.
What is PERM?
PERM is a process run by the US Department of Labor to help get permanent labor certification. Its main goal is to ensure American workers have job opportunities, fair wages, and good working conditions while allowing foreign workers to come in. Often, PERM is the first step in getting a green card.
Why Amazon and Google Stopped PERM Applications
Earlier this year, Amazon said it would not accept any PERM applications until 2025 because of problems with its operations. Similarly, Google stopped taking PERM applications in January 2023, when it laid off 12,000 workers. It said it would not start the PERM process again until early 2025.
Indians Facing Delays in Getting Green Cards
Many highly skilled professionals from India are stuck waiting for years, even decades, to get permanent residence, also known as a green card. This is because of two main reasons in US law:
- Yearly Limit: The limit on how many green cards can be given out yearly for jobs is set at 140,000.
- Country Quota: No country can get over 7 percent of those green cards.
This rule hits hard on skilled workers from big countries like India, China, and the Philippines. According to data, over 1.2 million Indians and their dependents are waiting for green cards. This backlog is expected to keep growing unless there are changes to the system.
Tech Companies Follow Google’s Lead in Green Card Strategy
According to Ava Benach, a partner at Benach Collopy, a big immigration law firm in Washington DC, tech companies are copying Google’s strategy because it’s a big player in the industry. Benach explained that when there are enough US workers available for jobs, the process of hiring foreign workers becomes pointless and costly for these tech companies.
She also mentioned that if tech companies recently laid off workers, they must tell them about new job openings that might go to foreign workers. If any of these laid-off workers are interested, the company can’t apply for green cards for foreign workers. The Daily Guardian reported this.
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