US Department of Labour Proposes Green Card Rule Changes

The United States government is moving to revise employment-based green card sponsorship requirements after completing a federal review of proposed changes to the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme. The proposed regulation, developed by the US Department of Labour, has cleared review by the Office of Management and Budget, paving the way for its publication in the Federal Register.

The proposed changes would revise recruitment standards for employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency, strengthen protections for American workers affected by layoffs, and introduce additional employer compliance requirements. The existing PERM framework requires employers to demonstrate a lack of qualified US workers before sponsoring foreign nationals.

The proposed regulation will focus on recruitment requirements, protections for laid-off American workers, and compliance with federal non-discrimination rules. The specific provisions remain confidential until publication.

Following this, a public consultation period will allow stakeholders to submit comments before final regulations are issued.