US Department of Labor Proposes Green Card Revisions

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 Labor (DOL), has cleared review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), allowing for its publication in the Federal Register.

According to an immigration advisory from Fragomen on October 26, 2026, the proposed changes will revise recruitment standards for employers sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residency and strengthen protections for American workers affected by layoffs. The Department of Labor intends to update standards governing how employers recruit qualified American workers before sponsoring foreign nationals for permanent employment, a key requirement for many employment-based green card applications, particularly under the EB-2 and EB-3 immigrant visa categories.

Specific provisions of the proposed regulation remain confidential until publication. The changes come amid broader efforts by US authorities to revise immigration requirements affecting foreign professionals and employers.