The United States Department of Labour has suspended permanent labour certification filings for Cognizant and Cloudera amid an ongoing investigation into alleged visa fraud. Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito announced the action on Tuesday, stating that the move is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to protect American workers.
The investigation is being conducted in coordination with the White House Fraud Task Force and other federal officials. The PERM process, which serves as the initial step for foreign workers seeking permanent residency, requires employers to prove that no qualified American workers are available for the positions in question.
Cognizant, which was founded in Chennai and is currently headquartered in New Jersey, has faced increased scrutiny regarding its visa practices. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the company received 3,510 H-1B visa petition approvals as of June 30, a decrease from 9,413 in 2020.
