Washington, DC [US], September 9 (ANI): The United States Department of Labour has frozen permanent labour certification submissions for Cognizant, representing the foundational stage through which enterprises sponsor overseas personnel for permanent residency, as the Trump administration steps up enforcement against alleged visa malpractices.
A Labour Department official posted "Handcuffs await" on social media while releasing details of the measure, which links back to a countrywide inquiry launched in July.
US Department of Labour Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito stated on Tuesday that permanent labour certification documents for Cognizant and Cloudera had been halted following a probe executed alongside the White House Fraud Task Force and related authorities.
Breaking the news on the social media platform X while detailing the enforcement step, D'Esposito stated, "Threats to American workers will NOT be tolerated."
Fighting fraud is a TEAM SPORT.@Sonderling47 and I are for real.@Cognizant’s PERM filings are suspended. @DOLOIG is on the hunt.
Threats to American workers will NOT be tolerated.
Alongside @WHFraudTF, we’re following facts, fraud and finances.
Handcuffs await.
He added, "Fighting fraud is a TEAM SPORT. @Sonderling47 and I are for real. @Cognizant's PERM filings are suspended. @DOLOIG is on the hunt," pointing to Keith Sonderling, Acting Secretary, Department of Labour.
"Alongside @WHFraudTF, we're following facts, fraud and finances. Handcuffs await," he further remarked.
This turn of events unfolds amid heightened regulatory examination across the United States regarding corporate reliance on foreign-worker visa and employment-based immigration systems.
Large Indian IT services companies have historically relied on overseas talent and US immigration programmes to staff client projects.
PERM, or Program Electronic Review Management, functions as the procedure whereby American employers petition the Department of Labour for clearance to sponsor foreign staff for permanent residency.
Within this protocol, corporate sponsors are generally required to demonstrate that qualified and accessible domestic candidates are unavailable for the position, and that employing an overseas worker will not depress local wage structures or workplace standards.
Back in July, the Trump administration initiated a wide-ranging probe into alleged fraud connected to the H-1B and PERM employment visa channels.
Cognizant established its roots in Chennai during 1994 and currently maintains its headquarters in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Figures published by US Citizenship and Immigration Services indicate that Cognizant secured approvals for 3,510 H-1B visa applications up to June 30, contrasting with 9,413 approvals registered in 2020.
The halt placed on Cognizant's PERM documentation highlights an aggressive new phase in the US government's campaign addressing alleged employment visa wrongdoing, bringing both the firm and Cloudera under direct investigation. (ANI)
