US Green Card Freeze Forces Indians To Rethink Jobs, Homes And Visas

By Katya Naidu

What? 

Karthik S, who lives in San Jose, filed his green card application two months ago and is waiting for approval. His H1-B visa runs out in 2028. Like many H1-B visa holders in the US, he is furiously refreshing the Department of Labour website to check the status of his application. 

The US government has frozen the green card programme of eight tech companies – Microsoft, Capgemini, Cognizant, Adobe, TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL. They can no longer file fresh PERMs (Permanent Labor Certification), and even pending PERMs will not be processed. 

While Karthik is hoping against hope, he knows that his six-year clock has started ticking. 

Many like him, those waiting in the line for PERM approval, also might now have to consider returning home. Those on H1B visas whose PERMs are either not filed or approved can only stay in the US for six years. 

There are only a few workarounds to stay in the US temporarily, apart from leaving the country and finding an employer outside the eight banned companies who can.   

“Those who have a spouse working in the country can file a dependent visa and stay temporarily until their PERM is reactivated,” Gnanamookan Senthurjothi, an immigration attorney and the founder of immigration services company, The Visa Code, told The Core. 

“There are a few other temporary ways, like taking up a tourist visa to travel or a business visa to attend conferences. But these are temporary ways,” Senthurjothi said.

What Now? 

Some can change their status to that of a student, but this too is not easy. “One cannot do a second Bachelor's or a Master's degree but must move to the next level of progression in education. Like, say, a Bachelor's degree holder must do a Master's, and a Master's degree holder must move to a PhD,” added Senthurjothi. 

A US green card freeze has thrown Indian tech workers’ plans for permanent residency into disarray, leaving them to weigh years of uncertainty against the cost of staying, the risks of leaving and the prospect of starting over elsewhere.

While H1-B visa holders sponsored by the aforementioned eight are in the worst possible state, even those a step ahead with I-140s are not in a very secure position either. Form I-140, or the Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, qualifies a foreign national for an employment-based green card. 

Gowri Maddoori, who moved to the US in 2015, has an approved I-140 and lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids. But she too says her nerves are frayed. 

“We have a long wait in our pathway to a green card. We have to wait at least 20 years, is what we have been told. I am in my 30s, and I guess I would be rather old by then. But that is not our only worry. We invested in a house last year, and now we are extremely scared as to what will happen in case of a job loss,” Maddoori said.

This fear is shared by a lot of those in the Indian community around her, she added. 

The number of green cards issued per year is limited, and the number of applications filed is enormous. Hence, the priority date for a green card that a visa holder gets after getting an approved I-140 can be as long as 20 years.  

With each passing year, the wait has gotten longer.

75 million sq ft

That's how much cumulative urban logistics space India's quick-commerce sector is expected to require by 2030, as delivery platforms expand their dark-store networks and replenishment infrastructure, according to a CBRE Research report.

By The Numbers: India currently has around 7,800 dark stores spread across more than 100 cities, occupying approximately 27 million sq ft. The network remains concentrated in the top eight cities, which account for 65-70% of stores.

Of the projected demand, inner-city dark stores are expected to account for 42 million sq ft, while larger replenishment hubs will contribute 33 million sq ft.

Forecast: Expansion beyond metros into tier-II and tier-III cities, along with demand for faster deliveries and a wider range of products, is expected to drive further demand for specialised urban logistics space.

Tata Builds AI Backbone

Tata Communications plans to invest $400-450 million (around Rs 3,700-4,200 crore) over the next three to five years to build a 10,000-km fibre network connecting India’s major artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre hubs. The company said in a statement that it expects the network to generate meaningful revenue from FY29.

Setup: The first phase will connect Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, with subsequent phases extending to hubs including Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Jamnagar and GIFT City.

Impact: The investment comes as India’s data centre industry expands to support AI adoption, cloud computing and rising demand for local data storage. Data centres require high-capacity, low-latency networks to move large volumes of data between computing facilities.

Global capability centres (GCCs), which handle technology, research and business operations for multinational companies, are also driving demand for reliable digital infrastructure.

Tata Communications expects data centre connectivity to become a $1 billion market in India.

Hyundai’s SUV Sales Push

Hyundai Motor India aims to sell at least 2.5 lakh mid-size SUVs in 2027, banking on the Creta and its new Bayon to drive growth, Business Standard reported. The company expects to sell around 1.7 lakh Creta units in 2026 and plans to expand the Bayon's appeal with a CNG variant in January 2027, followed by exports.

Background: India's mid-size SUV segment has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 25.6% over the past five years. Hyundai hopes its expanded portfolio will help it capture a larger share of this market.

Flashpoint: As The Core previously reported, Hyundai faces mounting competition from Tata Motors and Mahindra, which have strengthened their SUV portfolios and gained market share. Hyundai slipped to fourth place among India's passenger vehicle manufacturers in FY26, losing its long-held second position.

The company must now turn new product launches into sustained sales growth while navigating intensifying competition and pressure on profitability.

E100 Fuel Gets The Green Light

The Centre has amended motor vehicle rules to allow flex-fuel vehicles designed to run on E100, a fuel consisting almost entirely of ethanol. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, on October 23, with the notification published on October 26.

Fast Facts: The amendment adds E100 alongside E85, which contains 85% ethanol, in vehicle emission standards and testing provisions. Only vehicles specifically designed and certified to use these fuels can run on them. Existing petrol and E20-compatible vehicles cannot switch to E100.

Context: The move supports India's push to reduce crude oil imports and expand domestic ethanol production. India achieved its 20% ethanol-blending target in petrol in 2025, five years ahead of schedule. However, the E20 rollout has triggered consumer backlash, with motorists reporting lower mileage and raising concerns about engine wear in older vehicles.

The government has defended the fuel's safety, but questions around vehicle compatibility, fuel costs and consumer choice persist. The E100 push will require compatible vehicles and wider fuel infrastructure to gain traction.

Adani, Ambani-Backed Publishers Challenge Privacy Law

Twenty-one news publishers, including media groups owned by Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, have challenged India’s privacy law, arguing it threatens investigative journalism and could expose journalists’ sources, according to a Reuters exclusive.

Catch Up Quick: The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), whose members include Network18, NDTV, The Indian Express and Times Internet, filed a petition in the Supreme Court on October 6. The group is seeking to overturn contentious provisions of the law, which take effect from May 2027.

What’s Next? The publishers argue that consent requirements could alert subjects to investigations, while provisions allowing individuals to demand data deletion could force newsrooms to remove factual reports.

They also fear government powers to demand information could expose confidential sources and deter whistleblowers. The government says India has a vibrant media ecosystem and does not need validation from foreign bodies on press freedom.

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More World Leaders Join The Hunt For Gasoline

On Episode 1017 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Chanakya Chakravarti, Global Real Estate Investor and Capital Strategist.

• More World Leaders Join The Hunt For Gasoline

• Neoclouds Are Under Pressure On Wall Street, Opening Up Fresh Chink In AI Armour

• Uday Kotak’s Warning On The Cost Of FCNR Deposits

• Domestic Institutional Capital In Real Estate Has Overtaken Foreign Capital For The First Time. What Does That Mean?