Google to ramp up PERM-based green cards for H-1B workers in 2026

Google plans to restart and sharply increase employer-sponsored green card cases for eligible workers in 2026, a shift that could ease pressure on many employees in the United States 🇺🇸 who rely on temporary visas such as H-1B. The plan, described in an internal December 2025 newsletter reviewed by Business Insider, would bring back large-scale filings under PERM, the U.S. Department of Labor process that most private employers must complete before they can sponsor many employment-based green cards.

The change matters because Google largely paused PERM filings starting in January 2023, during a tech downturn when layoffs made it harder for big employers to meet Labor Department rules meant to protect U.S. workers. Business Insider reported that Google’s 2023 layoffs affected around 12,000 employees globally, and that the company limited PERM activity after that period.

Under PERM rules, an employer must test the labor market and show that hiring a foreign worker will not hurt wages or job chances for U.S. workers. Large layoffs can raise extra questions about whether workers in similar roles were let go and whether there are qualified U.S. workers available.

Timeline and outreach

Google’s internal message pointed to a return to longer-term workforce planning after the cuts, and laid out a timeline that starts early in 2026.

• Eligible employees are expected to be contacted in Q1 2026 by Google’s external immigration lawyers to begin the PERM process, according to the report.
• A Google spokesperson declined to comment publicly on the plan, Business Insider said.

Why this matters for workers

For workers, the reopening of PERM sponsorship is not just a paperwork change; it can shape whether they feel safe putting down roots.

• Many tech employees on H-1B visas have only limited time to stay if they lose a job, and they can face tough choices about changing employers, moving cities, or uprooting families.
• A PERM filing can be the first visible sign that an employer is willing to invest in a person for the long run, even though it does not guarantee a green card on its own.

Important: PERM sponsorship signals employer commitment but does not itself secure permanent residence.

Overview: PERM and the employer-sponsored green card process

PERM is the first major step in many employer-sponsored green card paths. In simple terms:

1. The employer runs required recruitment steps and files a PERM labor certification with the Department of Labor.
2. If PERM is approved, the employer usually files an immigrant petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), commonly Form I-140.
3. After that, the worker may be able to apply for permanent residence through adjustment of status, commonly Form I-485, if a visa number is available under the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin.

For official information, see the government pages:
– Department of Labor: Foreign Labor Certification – PERM
– USCIS: Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
– USCIS: Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Internal eligibility criteria reported

The internal criteria described by Business Insider suggest Google is trying to keep the relaunch narrow and defensible. Key filters reported include:

• Roles must require a degree and prior experience.
• Employees must be based in a Google office — remote workers may have to relocate to be considered.
• Workers must be in good standing and have at least a “moderate impact” (MI) performance rating.
• Employees in Level 3 roles or below were less likely to qualify.

These filters can determine which families get a shot at a green card first, even among people doing solid work, and they may push some employees to weigh whether a relocation is worth it.

Office-based requirement: broader implications

The office-based requirement is likely to stand out because remote work became common across the tech industry, and immigration status often ties a person to where an employer says the job is located.

• If Google requires certain workers to move back to an office to qualify for PERM sponsorship, that could create a second layer of pressure.
• Workers may feel they must choose between family needs, cost of living, and the chance to stay in the country long term.
• Moves can affect spouses’ jobs, children’s schools, and caregiving plans in ways that do not appear on immigration forms.

Industry context and ripple effects

Business Insider noted that Google was not alone in pulling back during the downturn; Amazon and Meta had similar pauses during the same period.

• When several large firms slow green card sponsorship simultaneously, changing jobs may not solve the problem if new employers also hesitate to start PERM.
• A pause at one big employer can have ripple effects across the whole job market.

Limits and timeline uncertainties

Even with the new push, the green card path remains slow and depends on factors outside Google’s control.

• PERM is only the opening step. After PERM comes the USCIS petition and then the visa-number wait tied to country limits and category backlogs in the State Department’s Visa Bulletin.
• Business Insider said Visa Bulletin priority dates still apply after PERM, so a worker can do everything right and still wait years before filing the final green card stage — depending on category and birthplace.

This uncertainty can be hard on families seeking stability but unable to predict the timeline.

Systemic pressures and broader environment

The move coincides with a period when many H-1B workers report higher costs and longer waits across the system, even where formal policies haven’t changed.

• Business Insider said the broader environment includes higher H-1B fees and processing delays.
• Google’s decision is a corporate choice, not a government rule — Business Insider stressed that no USCIS policy changes are tied to this decision.

Still, employer behavior can shape real-life outcomes because most employment-based green cards require an employer to start and pay for key steps.

Expected patterns and employee reactions

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, large-scale PERM restarts by major employers often produce a predictable pattern:

1. A wave of early-stage filings.
2. A second wave of employee questions about timing, job changes, promotions, or location moves and how those affect cases.

This pattern matches the reported details: workers are expected to hear from outside lawyers in Q1 2026, but eligibility hinges on job level, performance ratings, and job location — all factors that can change inside a company before the government ever reviews a file.

Outstanding questions and human impact

What Business Insider did not provide — and what many workers will still want answered — are the human details:

• Which teams get prioritized?
• How will exceptions work?
• What happens to employees hired during the pause who expected sponsorship?

The report also did not name specific employees or outside lawyers involved, so affected workers must read between the lines of an internal message and wait for individualized contact.

For many, the waiting period will return the same question they have lived with for years on temporary status: Is 2026 the year their employer finally puts a green card case in motion, or another year when the safest plan is to keep options open and documents ready?