Google to resume Green Card applications for employees via PERM in 2026, after a three-year break; what is PERM and why the company had stopped it

Google has informed its employees that it will restart and also ‘ramp up’ application for the US green cards via the PERM program in 2026. The company’s plan to restart the process comes after the pause of three years which wS started among sweeping layoffs in 2023. As reported by Business Insider, the announcement by Google was shared in the December news letter and it signals a significant shift in the company’s immigration policy at a time of heightened uncertainty for tech workers on visas.

What is PERM program which Google will restart next year

For the uninitiated, PERM is the abbreviation for Program Electronic Review Management in a US Department of Labour process which enable the employers to ponder foreign workers for permanent residency. It is considered to be an important step for employees on temporary visas such as the H-1B allowing them to transition to a green card and secure the right to live and work permanently in the US. The process requires companies to prove that hiring foreign workers will not harm the job prospects or working conditions of the US citizens.

Why Google stopped PERM in 2023

As mentioned above, the tech giant Google stopped the PERM applications in January 2023, in the same month the company fired around 12,000 employees. As the US job market is now flooded with the laid-off tech talent, it became harder for companies to justify hiring foreign workers under PERM’s strict requirements. Other big tech companies such as Amazon and Meta have also paused their programs at that time. Since then, Google has only applied for PERM for a small handful of employees, according to people familiar with the matter.

Eligibility criteria for Google’s PERM 2026

As per the Google memo seen by Business Insider, the company has outlined a strict eligibility criteria for employees who are planning to apply for PERM in 2026.

* Employees must work in roles requiring a degree and prior work experience.

* Staff must be based in a Google office; remote workers must agree to transfer to an office location to qualify.

* Employees must be in good standing with the company and hold at least a “moderate impact” (MI) rating in their annual performance reviews.

* Workers at Level 3 roles or below are less likely to meet the requirements.

Google said eligible employees will hear from its outside immigration lawyers in the first quarter of 2026.

The announcement of restarting PERM from Google comes at a time when tech employees on visas are facing mounting challenges. Increase in the H-1B visa fees and “significant” delays in international travel have added to the uncertainty, with Google’s lawyers recently advising employees to avoid traveling abroad if they lack valid visa stamps.

Google advised employees to on H-1B visa to avoid international travel

Recently, Google asked some of its employees in the US to not travel abroad amid the H-1B visa row. According to a report by Business Insider, the company's outside counsel, BAL Immigration Law has sent an internal memo which says that workers who require a new visa stamp to re-enter the US risk being stuck overseas for months because many embassies and consulates are experiencing severe appointment backlogs. The memo said that U.S. embassies and consulates are reporting visa stamping delays of up to 12 months, and recommend that affected employees avoid international travel unless absolutely necessary. The advisory affects workers on H-1B, H-4, F, J, and M visas.

"Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months," the memo read.