Does Tech Mahindra Sponsor H-1B Visas? Client-Site Work, Green Cards and Why It Isn't on the PERM List

Tech Mahindra was not on DOL's October 2026 PERM list, but a client-site H-1B comes with its own rules. Here is what to check before you sign the offer.

Part of our guide to PERM labor certification.

Yes, Tech Mahindra sponsors H-1B visas. Its US entity in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, Tech Mahindra Americas Inc., received 486 initial-employment and 713 continuing-employment H-1B approvals in FY2024, against 6 denials. And as of November 1, 2026, Tech Mahindra is not one of the eight employers named in the Department of Labor's PERM suspension announced on 2026-10-08 (Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini). That suspension is in effect for those eight, and it is a green-card (PERM) action, not an H-1B ban.

Much IT services work happens at a client's office, which brings its own LCA, petition and STEM OPT rules. This guide covers them, plus the H-1B dependency and 9-11 fee tests.

Status as of 2026-11-01. In effect: the PERM suspension of 8 employers (Tech Mahindra not named); the $4,000 9-11 fee on H-1B petitions, extensions included, for covered employers; wage-weighted H-1B selection. In effect on paper, fee blocked: the $100,000 entry restriction (Proclamation 11069). Proposed: ending the worker 60-day grace period (comments close 2026-11-10) and removing deference on extensions (comments close 2026-11-13); check the dockets after 2026-11-13. Under OIRA review (unpublished): "Reforming the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program" (RIN 1615-AD00). Not announced: FY2028 H-1B registration.

Does Tech Mahindra sponsor H-1B visas in 2026?

Yes. In FY2024, Tech Mahindra Americas Inc. had 1,199 H-1B approvals and 6 denials on USCIS first decisions (486 initial, 713 continuing), a 99.5% approval rate, per the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. As of 2026-11-01, it is not named in DOL's PERM suspension and not on DOL's H-1B debarment list.

Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, FY2024, the latest full year in our extract. History on our Tech Mahindra Americas sponsor page.

USCIS's Data Hub guide says the counts reflect "USCIS' first decision"; appeals, revocations and pending cases are left out. Broadly, initial approvals cover people starting with the employer and continuing approvals cover people already there, such as extensions (our reading of the glossary). About 40% of the FY2024 approvals were initial (486 of 1,199, our arithmetic). The Hub groups filings by the petitioner's tax ID: if your offer names another Tech Mahindra subsidiary, look that entity up. And 99.5% is the company's record, not your odds. Every FY2024 decision predates PA-2026-05 (in effect since 2026-08-05, challenged), which lets officers deny without a request for evidence when required initial evidence is missing.

For sector context, the Congressional Research Service (IN12747, 2026-10-14) reports that Cognizant, Infosys and Tata submitted 100%, 91% and 95% fewer FY2027 H-1B registrations, but gives no Tech Mahindra figure, and we found no verified one. Published figures for the share of Tech Mahindra's US staff on visas also conflict, so rely only on the company's own dated earnings-call statements.

Is Tech Mahindra affected by the PERM suspension?

No. DOL's 2026-10-08 announcement named eight employers, and Tech Mahindra is not one. As of 2026-11-01 there is no Federal Register or OFLC notice, no stated basis and no end date, and Mayer Brown notes the action "does not suspend any employer from the H-1B program" (Mayer Brown, October 2026). Nor is it part of the 2026-10-16 Cloudera settlement (a two-year PERM debarment of Cloudera alone) or on DOL's H-1B debarment list ("effective as of October 1, 2026", six willful violators). Our explainer on what DOL's PERM suspension actually does and our reality check on TCS, Infosys and Cognizant sponsorship cover the named firms.

Common misconception: "All the big Indian IT firms were frozen out of green cards in October 2026." Correction: Tech Mahindra was not among the eight, and even for them it is a PERM suspension, not an H-1B ban. Not being named doesn't make PERM fast, either: DOL's FLAG page showed analyst review at January 2026 priority dates, averaging 303 days (as of 2026-10-21).

Moving to Tech Mahindra from one of the eight with a pending PERM? A one-year AC21 extension beyond six years needs a PERM or I-140 filed at least 365 days earlier, and under 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D)(6) the new H-1B employer need not be the PERM filer. Practitioners (not the agency) read a suspended PERM as still counting; an administrative closure would end that. Ask an immigration attorney before you resign.

What is a client-site H-1B placement?

In a client-site placement, your employer files your petition and pays you, but you work at a client's office or on a client's project. That is permitted, but it adds paperwork at three points: the Labor Condition Application (LCA), the petition, and every move between clients. Our comparison of in-house sponsorship and the staffing or consulting model covers the business side.

The LCA. Form ETA-9035 lists each place of employment, and DOL's disclosure data (record layout) shows whether workers "will be placed with a secondary entity" and, if so, that entity's name. DOL Fact Sheet 62M says the employer "must give a copy of the LCA to each H-1B worker" no later than the day you report to your permanent place of work. Our guide to the LCA public access file explains the rest.

The petition. The H-1B modernization rule (FR Doc. 2024-29354, effective 2025-01-17) added 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(i)(B)(3). It covers a worker who "becomes part of that third party's organizational hierarchy" by filling a position there "(and not merely providing services to the third party)". In that case, "it is the requirements of that third party, and not the petitioner, that are most relevant" to whether the job is a specialty occupation. The rule also requires a bona fide position as of the start date (not day-to-day assignments for the whole period), dropped the itinerary requirement, and codified site visits, including at third-party worksites, where refusing to cooperate can mean denial or revocation. And it codified USCIS's authority to request contracts; client letters and statements of work are common supporting evidence (practice, not a USCIS checklist).

Moves and the bench. USCIS memo PM-602-0120 (Matter of Simeio Solutions) requires an amended or new petition to be filed before you start at a worksite that needs a new LCA. A move within the same area of intended employment generally needs none, but the LCA must be posted at the new site. Between projects, DOL Fact Sheet 62I says "H-1B workers must be paid the required wage rate for all nonproductive time caused by conditions related to employment," such as "lack of assigned work."

What is pending. The agenda abstract for RIN 1615-AD00, under OIRA review since 2026-08-24 with no public text, mentions "increasing oversight over third party placements."

A worked example: one consultant, two clients

A hypothetical Tech Mahindra H-1B worker; the dates are illustrative, the rules real.

The Charlotte row is where people get hurt. PM-602-0120 lets you start once the amended or new petition is properly filed, without waiting for a decision, so ask HR to confirm in writing that it was filed before your first day there.

Is Tech Mahindra an H-1B dependent employer?

We don't state a status, because an employer declares dependency on each filing and its workforce changes. Two tests sound alike but measure different things:

Under DOL Fact Sheet 62Q, an exempt worker "Receives $60,000 annual wages" or holds a related master's or higher degree. A bill to raise that line (S. 5638 / H.R. 10799) is introduced and referred only.

PA-2026-16, USCIS's 2026-10-27 alert on L-1 fees, defines covered employers as H-1B or L-1 petitioners "who employ 50 or more employees in the United States, if more than 50 percent of the petitioner's employees in the aggregate are in H-1B, L-1A, or L-1B nonimmigrant status." We are not saying Tech Mahindra meets that test; the petitioner answers it on each I-129, and amended petitions that don't extend your stay are exempt.

The $100,000 entry restriction is separate. Proclamation 11069 is in effect on paper until 2027-09-21, but courts blocked the agency policies that collect it, and the USCIS I-129 page says, "If this order is later lifted, DHS still plans to collect the payment." Extensions and changes of status granted inside the US were never covered.

Does Tech Mahindra sponsor green cards?

Nothing announced as of 2026-11-01 stops Tech Mahindra from filing PERM. Whether and when it starts PERM for your role is a company decision, and we have no verified count of its filings. DOL's OFLC performance page hosts the PERM disclosure file (latest FY2026 Q3), searchable by employer. DOL's PERM labor-market-test proposal (RIN 1205-AC29) cleared OIRA on 2026-10-23 but is unpublished, so current 20 CFR 656.17 recruitment rules apply.

If you were born in India, the queue matters as much as the employer:

USCIS requires the Dates for Filing chart for November I-485s; consular cases use Final Action Dates, and the December bulletin is not out (see the USCIS filing-charts page). USCIS's June 2026 count of approved employment-based petitions awaiting a visa shows 491,773 for India (primary beneficiaries only). For PERM when your job moves between clients, see PERM at IT consulting firms.

Does Tech Mahindra hire OPT students in the US?

We found no public, verifiable count of the F-1 OPT or STEM OPT workers Tech Mahindra hires, and the 486 FY2024 initial approvals don't show how many were OPT graduates.

USCIS's STEM OPT page (updated 2026-01-30) says "Staffing and temporary agencies and consulting firms may seek to employ students under the STEM OPT program," if the firm provides the training and keeps a bona fide employer-employee relationship. Your trainers "may not, however, be employees or contractors of the employer's clients or customers," and the employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. Our guide to STEM OPT at a consulting firm's client site covers the Form I-983 questions.

OPT unemployment limits are unchanged (90 days, 150 with STEM OPT), as is the STEM OPT 180-day automatic extension for timely filers. A first H-1B at a for-profit employer like Tech Mahindra is generally cap-subject, so an OPT hire usually needs a lottery selection. FY2028 registration is not announced as of 2026-11-01; wage-weighted selection (in effect since 2026-02-27) gives a Level IV registration four entries and Level I one. After a timely cap-subject change-of-status petition, cap-gap extends F-1 status and OPT work authorization to April 1 of the fiscal year requested (or the petition start date, if earlier).

How to check a Tech Mahindra offer, step by step

1. Find the legal entity on your offer letter in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
2. Search DOL's LCA disclosure file on the OFLC performance page for that entity and your title; read H-1B_DEPENDENT, SECONDARY_ENTITY and PW_WAGE_LEVEL.
3. Ask HR in writing which client and worksite your LCA will list and when PERM usually starts for your role, and request your copy of the certified Form ETA-9035.
4. Confirm, for STEM OPT, the hiring entity's E-Verify enrollment and who on Tech Mahindra's payroll will sign your Form I-983.
5. Check DOL's H-1B debarment list and PERM disclosure file for the entity.
6. Take F-1, STEM OPT, cap-gap and SEVIS questions to your DSO, and petition, amendment or PERM questions to a licensed immigration attorney.

Common mistakes

• Assuming Tech Mahindra is under the PERM suspension because other Indian IT firms are.
• Reading "not on the list" as a fast green card. PERM review averaged 303 days (2026-10-21).
• Treating 99.5% as your odds. It covers FY2024 first decisions.
• Starting at a new client in another metro before the amended petition is filed.
• Accepting unpaid bench time. The LCA wage is owed for lack of assigned work.
• Letting a client manager become your STEM OPT trainer.
• Looking up the brand, not the entity that files your I-129.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tech Mahindra affected by the PERM suspension?

No. The PERM suspension DOL announced on 2026-10-08 named eight employers (Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini), and Tech Mahindra is not among them as of 2026-11-01. The action concerns green-card labor certifications for those eight, not H-1B petitions.

Does Tech Mahindra sponsor green cards?

Nothing announced as of 2026-11-01 stops Tech Mahindra from filing PERM, because it is not on the suspension list. Whether and when it starts PERM for your role is a company decision, so ask HR in writing and check DOL's PERM disclosure data. India-born applicants also face long waits, with the EB-2 India Final Action Date at 2013-11-01 in the November 2026 Visa Bulletin.

Does Tech Mahindra hire OPT students in the US?

There is no public, verified count of the OPT or STEM OPT graduates it hires. If an offer would put you on STEM OPT at a client site, USCIS requires the E-Verify-enrolled employer that signs your Form I-983 to train you, and your trainers cannot be the client's employees. Review the offer with your DSO before you accept.

What is a client-site H-1B placement?

Your employer files the H-1B petition and pays you, but you work at or for a client. Since 2025-01-17, if you fill a position inside the client's own organization, USCIS treats the client's requirements as most relevant to whether the job is a specialty occupation. A move to a client in a different metro area generally needs a new LCA and an amended or new petition filed before you start there.

Is Tech Mahindra an H-1B dependent employer?

We do not state a status, because an employer declares dependency on each filing and its workforce changes. Under DOL Fact Sheet 62C, an employer with 51 or more full-time-equivalent employees is H-1B dependent if 15 percent or more are H-1B workers. The H-1B_DEPENDENT field in DOL's LCA disclosure data shows what it declared.

Sources

• USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and its guide
• Mayer Brown on DOL's PERM and H-1B actions
• DOL H-1B debarment list
• USCIS PA-2026-16 and Form I-129 page
• H-1B modernization rule, FR Doc. 2024-29354 and USCIS PM-602-0120
• DOL Fact Sheets 62C, 62Q, 62I, 62M; OFLC performance data and the FY2026 Q3 LCA record layout
• USCIS FY2026 Q3 approved petitions awaiting visas (xlsx) and USCIS filing charts; DOL FLAG processing times
• USCIS STEM OPT page
• CRS Insight IN12747; RIN 1615-AD00 agenda entry

How we checked this: we read the pages above, the 09/09/26 Form I-129 and DOL's FY2026 Q3 LCA record layout on 2026-11-01 and 2026-11-02; Tech Mahindra's figures come from the FY2024 USCIS Data Hub extract behind our company pages.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-797, I-94, I-20 and LCA govern, and your DSO or immigration attorney should review your facts.

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