Does Wipro Sponsor H-1B Visas? Campus Hiring, Extensions and Green Cards After the PERM Suspension
Wipro can still file your H-1B, but DOL's October PERM suspension can change your green-card timeline, your path past six years and what you keep if you leave.
Part of our guide to PERM labor certification.
Does Wipro sponsor H1B visas? Yes. As of November 1, 2026, no public action has suspended Wipro from the H-1B program, and Wipro Limited recorded 601 initial and 1,033 continuing H-1B approvals in FY2024 on the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. What changed is the green card. On 2026-10-08 the Department of Labor announced a suspension of PERM labor certification for eight employers, Wipro among them. That freezes the first step of a Wipro-sponsored green card. It does not cancel your H-1B or stop Wipro from filing H-1B extensions and new petitions.
Status as of 2026-11-01. In effect: DOL's PERM suspension of eight employers, Wipro included (announced 2026-10-08; no written notice, basis or end date). Not covered: their H-1B petitions. Scheduled: USCIS takes only the 09/09/26 Form I-129 from 2026-11-09. Proposed, not law: ending the 60-day worker grace period (comments close 2026-11-10) and removing deference on extensions (comments close 2026-11-13).
Does Wipro sponsor H1B visas in 2026?
Yes. Wipro Limited won 601 initial and 1,033 continuing H-1B approvals from USCIS in FY2024, against 38 denials, a 97.7% approval rate on first decisions. The Department of Labor's October 8, 2026 suspension covers Wipro's PERM green-card applications, not its H-1B petitions, so Wipro can still file new H-1Bs, extensions and transfers as of November 1, 2026.
| Wipro Limited, FY2024 first decisions | Count |
|---|---|
| Initial approvals (new employment, where F-1 to H-1B hires are counted) | 601 |
| Initial denials | 14 |
| Continuing approvals (continuing employment, such as extensions) | 1,033 |
| Continuing denials | 24 |
| All first decisions | 1,672 |
| Approval rate | 97.7% |
Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, FY2024, the latest full year in our extract (the Hub now runs to FY2026 Q4). Full history on Wipro's H-1B filing page.
- Continuing employment dominates. Continuing approvals outnumber initial ones about 1.7 to 1 (our arithmetic), so for most Wipro readers extensions matter more than the lottery.
- 97.7% is a little below the main entities of the other large IT firms in the same extract. The counts are "USCIS' first decision"; appeals and revocations are excluded (USCIS guide to the Data Hub).
- "Wipro" can be more than one row. The Hub groups filings by tax ID, so an affiliate with its own tax ID appears separately. DOL has not said which Wipro entities its action covers, so check the petitioner on your I-797.
Past filings show capacity, not a promise that any one role will sponsor.
Does the PERM suspension cancel my Wipro H-1B?
No. PERM is DOL's permanent labor certification (Form ETA-9089), the first step of most employment green cards. Your H-1B rests on a different filing: the I-129 petition USCIS approved, backed by a Labor Condition Application. Mayer Brown's 2026-10-15 analysis puts it plainly: "While the October 8 action does not suspend any employer from the H-1B program, the two programs are inextricably linked."
What DOL actually announced
According to Mayer Brown, DOL "will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labor certification applications" for the eight employers, and "did not indicate that an official finding of wrongdoing has been made." Mayer Brown also reports that the DOL Inspector General confirmed subpoenas. As of 2026-11-01 there is no FLAG or Federal Register notice, no stated legal basis, no end date and no lawsuit.
The PERM fraud regulation, 20 CFR 656.31(b), lets DOL suspend processing "initially for up to 180 days," then resume or "extend the suspension in processing until completion of any investigation and/or judicial proceedings." DOL has not publicly said it is using it. Background: what DOL's PERM suspension of eight employers actually does.
Where the two programs connect: the six-year limit
H-1B time is capped at six years. Staying longer depends on AC21, which 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D)-(E) implements in two ways:
- Section 106(a), one-year extensions. Available once a PERM or I-140 has been on file 365 days. They continue until an approved PERM expires or a final decision denies or revokes the PERM or I-140, decides the green-card case, or "administratively or otherwise" closes one of those filings.
- Section 104(c), three-year extensions. Available with an approved EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 I-140 when your priority date is not current because of per-country limits.
A suspension is not a denial, revocation or closure, so practitioners read a suspended PERM as still counting for 106(a). That is practitioner analysis, not agency guidance. The risk is closure: an administrative closure, or a withdrawal (our reading of "otherwise"), would end 106(a) eligibility based on that PERM.
Will Wipro restart my green card?
Nobody outside DOL can say when, because DOL has given no end date. What you can know today is how exposed your own stage is.
| Your Wipro stage (as of 2026-11-01) | What the suspension does | H-1B past six years | Ask Wipro's immigration team |
|---|---|---|---|
| No PERM filed yet | Wipro cannot file one for you while it lasts | No AC21 basis through Wipro until a PERM or I-140 is 365 days old | When will you file, and what if my six-year date comes first? |
| PERM filed under 365 days ago | Not processed | The 365 days run from filing, which a suspension does not change (our reading) | My exact ETA-9089 filing date |
| PERM filed 365+ days ago | Not processed | Practitioners read it as still supporting 106(a) | Has DOL denied, closed or written about my case? |
| I-140 pending | Mayer Brown's account covers labor certifications, not I-140s | A PERM or I-140 on file 365+ days supports 106(a) | My I-140 receipt date |
| I-140 approved, priority date not current | Revokes nothing by itself | Three-year 104(c) extensions remain available | My I-140 approval date and priority date |
The backlog is why 104(c) matters so much to India-born Wipro employees. In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, EB-2 India's Final Action Date stayed at 2013-11-01 and EB-3 India moved to 2014-01-22, with Dates for Filing at 2015-01-15 for both. USCIS requires the Dates for Filing chart for November I-485s; consular cases always use Final Action Dates. The December bulletin is not out, so any December date is a forecast.
A worked example: one Wipro engineer, three PERM dates
Take a hypothetical India-born engineer who moved from F-1 STEM OPT to H-1B with Wipro on 2021-10-01, with no time abroad to recapture. The six-year limit falls around 2027-09-30.
| Version | Wipro filing history | What happens at six years |
|---|---|---|
| A | PERM filed 2025-12-10, pending when DOL announced the suspension | 365 days pass on 2026-12-10, well before 2027-09-30. On the practitioner reading, a one-year 106(a) extension stays available unless the PERM is denied or closed |
| B | Wipro planned to file in November 2026 and now cannot | Even if Wipro filed the day processing resumed, say 2027-01-15, 365 days would not pass until 2028-01-15, after the six-year date |
| C | I-140 approved 2024-06-01, EB-2, priority date 2023-04-10 | EB-2 India's November Final Action Date is 2013-11-01, so the date is not current. Three-year 104(c) extensions remain available |
Version B is the hidden exposure: how long the suspension lasts decides the outcome. Filing the extension early does not help, because the rule allows an early petition only if the 365 days will have passed by the date the extension takes effect. An attorney can check whether time abroad can be recaptured.
Version A matters if the engineer leaves. Under 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D)(6), the H-1B petitioner "need not be the employer that filed the application for labor certification," so a new employer can rely on Wipro's PERM, filed 365+ days earlier, for a one-year extension. That holds only while the PERM stays open; an employer can withdraw a departing worker's PERM, so ask before you plan around it. After a layoff, our guide to AC21 and the grace period with a pending I-140 walks through the clocks.
Wipro H-1B extensions in November 2026: what else is moving
Wipro can keep filing your extension. None of these items comes from the PERM suspension, but each touches an extension filed now:
- Form edition (scheduled). From 2026-11-09, USCIS accepts only the 09/09/26 edition of Form I-129; the 02/27/26 edition counts only if postmarked or e-filed before then.
- 9-11 fee (in effect). Employers with 50+ US employees, more than half in H-1B or L-1 status, owe $4,000 on H-1B petitions, extensions included, postmarked 2026-09-09 through 2027-09-30. Our data does not show whether Wipro meets that test.
- Deference (proposed). DHS would remove USCIS deference to prior approvals on I-129 extensions; comments close 2026-11-13 (Federal Register). Current deference still applies.
- EO 14431 (in effect as a directive). It makes layoffs a factor in H-1B administration. No implementing guidance had appeared by 2026-11-01, and nothing in it automatically denies an extension.
- The $100,000 payment (blocked). Proclamation 11069 stands on paper, but courts have blocked the agency policies implementing it, and extensions granted inside the US were never covered.
Bench time, client changes and travel work much as they do at peers; see how TCS, Infosys and Cognizant handle extensions, bench time and travel.
Does Wipro hire OPT students from US universities?
Wipro Limited had 601 initial H-1B approvals in FY2024, the bucket where an F-1 student's first H-1B is counted, but the Data Hub does not show how many went to US graduates rather than workers abroad. Treat campus hiring as role by role, and ask the recruiter directly.
- STEM OPT at a services firm. The employer must use E-Verify and sign the Form I-983 training plan. USCIS's STEM OPT page admits consulting firms "only if they will be the entity that provides the practical training experience to the student" and bars handing training duties to a non-employer third party, so client-site work depends on the I-983 showing Wipro delivering the training. More in STEM OPT at consulting firms and client sites.
- The lottery. FY2028 registration has not been announced; the registration page still shows FY2027, and 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(3) requires notice "at least 30 calendar days in advance." Under wage-weighted selection, Level I gets one entry and Level IV gets four; see how the wage-weighted lottery works.
- Your clocks. OPT allows 90 days of unemployment, 150 in total with STEM OPT. Cap-gap extends status and OPT work to April 1 of the fiscal year requested (or the petition start date, if earlier) for a timely cap-subject change-of-status petition. Your DSO confirms how these apply to your SEVIS record.
The PERM suspension does not touch OPT; it touches the green card you would start years later. Our decision table for an offer from a suspended employer covers that trade-off.
Can I transfer my H-1B out of Wipro and keep my priority date?
If your I-140 is approved, generally yes. Under 8 CFR 204.5(e), an approved petition "accords the alien the priority date of the approved petition" for later EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 filings. The new employer still files its own PERM and I-140, and your earlier date carries over.
You lose the date only if USCIS revokes the approval for fraud or willful misrepresentation, DOL revokes the labor certification, USCIS or State invalidates it, or USCIS finds a material error. As of 2026-11-01, DOL has announced no finding and no revocation. Under 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(iii)(C), an I-140 the employer withdraws 180 days or more after approval "remains approved unless its approval is revoked on other grounds." The 104(c) text asks for an approved petition, not that your new employer filed it (our reading; confirm with counsel).
A PERM that is only pending gives you no priority date to carry. The date attaches through an approved I-140.
How to check your own Wipro case
- Pull your latest I-797 and I-94 record; note the petitioner name and end date.
- Request in writing your ETA-9089 filing date and status, your I-140 dates, and whether a pending PERM would be withdrawn if you leave.
- Calculate your six-year date with a licensed immigration attorney, including any recapture.
- Compare your priority date with the current Visa Bulletin and the chart USCIS says to use.
- Check DOL's FLAG processing times and the Federal Register for any written notice; FLAG showed analyst review at January 2026 priority dates on 2026-10-21.
- Vet a prospective employer on the Data Hub and in DOL's OFLC disclosure data (latest files: FY2026 Q3) before resigning; on OPT, ask your DSO how the change is reported in SEVIS.
How Wipro compares with the other suspended employers
Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini share one status as of 2026-11-01: PERM suspended, no written notice, no end date, and, per Mayer Brown, an action that suspends none of them from the H-1B program. What differs is what each has said and what public data shows.
| Employer | FY2027 H-1B registrations vs FY2026 (CRS) | Public word on the suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Wipro | No figure given | Check Wipro's stock-exchange filings and press releases |
| Cognizant | 100% fewer | CFO, 2026-10-29: "We do not expect the PERM suspension to have a material impact on our talent strategy or operations" |
| TCS ("Tata" in CRS) | 95% fewer | Reportedly said on 2026-10-09 that its PERM filings "were in single digits" |
| Infosys | 91% fewer | Not in our sources |
Registration figures come from a Congressional Research Service Insight (2026-10-14), which gives no Wipro number, so assume nothing either way; the Cognizant quote is from the earnings call transcript. A company can expect little impact on its operations while one employee's green card stalls.
Old assumption vs what is true as of 2026-11-01
| What people assume | What is true | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Wipro can't sponsor H-1B anymore" | Only PERM is suspended | Keep applying; confirm sponsorship per role |
| "It ends after 180 days" | No end date; 656.31 allows extensions and has not been publicly invoked | Plan around your six-year date |
| "My pending PERM moves with me" | Only an approved I-140's date carries; an open PERM filed 365+ days ago can support a new employer's 106(a) extension | Ask an attorney before you resign |
| "Laid off means 30 days to leave" | The worker grace period is still up to 60 days; ending it is only proposed | Track the 2026-11-10 comment deadline |
Common mistakes
- Treating a forum answer as the rule. On Blind, one user asked, "Will it impact extensions as well ? With approved i140." Replies said both yes and no. The regulation answers it: an approved I-140 still supports 104(c) extensions.
- Resigning before you have your dates. Your ETA-9089 filing date and I-140 approval date decide which AC21 route you keep.
- Assuming client-site STEM OPT is automatic. The I-983 must show Wipro delivering the training.
- Letting the six-year date sneak up. Version B only shows up if you do the math early.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wipro still sponsoring H-1B in 2026?
Yes. No public action has suspended Wipro from the H-1B program, and Wipro Limited had 601 initial and 1,033 continuing H-1B approvals in FY2024 on the USCIS Data Hub. The DOL action announced on 2026-10-08 covers PERM green-card labor certifications, not H-1B petitions. Sponsorship is still decided role by role.
Does the PERM suspension cancel my Wipro H-1B?
No. Your H-1B rests on an approved I-129 petition and a Labor Condition Application, and the PERM action touches neither; the dates on your I-797 and I-94 do not change. What it can change, as of 2026-11-01, is whether you can extend past six years if your PERM was filed late or not at all.
Will Wipro restart my green card?
Nobody outside DOL knows yet. As of 2026-11-01 DOL has published no written notice, legal basis or end date. The PERM fraud regulation, 20 CFR 656.31, allows an initial suspension of up to 180 days that can be extended until an investigation ends, but DOL has not publicly invoked it. Ask Wipro for your PERM filing date and status in writing.
Does Wipro hire OPT students from US universities?
Wipro Limited had 601 initial H-1B approvals in FY2024, the bucket where an F-1 student's first H-1B is counted, but the Data Hub does not show how many went to US graduates. For STEM OPT, Wipro must use E-Verify, sign the Form I-983 and deliver the training itself, even at a client site. Ask the recruiter whether the role takes OPT candidates.
Can I transfer my H-1B out of Wipro and keep my priority date?
If your I-140 is approved, generally yes. Under 8 CFR 204.5(e) you keep its priority date for later EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 petitions unless the approval is revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation, a revoked or invalidated labor certification, or material error. Your new employer still files its own PERM and I-140. A PERM that is only pending gives you no priority date to carry.
Sources
- USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding Our H-1B Employer Data Hub
- Mayer Brown, DOL announces enforcement actions against employers in H-1B and PERM fraud probe (2026-10-15)
- 20 CFR 656.31; 8 CFR 214.2, 204.5 and 205.1 (Cornell LII)
- USCIS, Form I-129, STEM OPT extension, H-1B electronic registration and adjustment filing charts
- U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin
- U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC performance data and FLAG processing times
- Federal Register, deference NPRM and worker grace-period NPRM
- Congressional Research Service, Insight IN12747 (2026-10-14); Investing.com, Cognizant Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-10-29)
How we checked this: on 2026-11-01 we read the USCIS, DOL, CRS and Federal Register pages above, the regulation text on Cornell LII and eCFR, and Mayer Brown's analysis, and took Wipro's figures from the USCIS Data Hub FY2024 extract.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-797, I-94 and PERM records govern your case; take F-1, OPT and SEVIS questions to your DSO, and petition or status strategy to a licensed immigration attorney.
If you are weighing a Wipro offer, planning a move out, or looking for employers whose green-card pipelines are open, F1Jobs can help you build a search around your visa timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wipro still sponsoring H-1B in 2026?
Yes. No public action has suspended Wipro from the H-1B program, and Wipro Limited had 601 initial and 1,033 continuing H-1B approvals in FY2024 on the USCIS Data Hub. The DOL action announced on 2026-10-08 covers PERM green-card labor certifications, not H-1B petitions. Sponsorship is still decided role by role.
Does the PERM suspension cancel my Wipro H-1B?
No. Your H-1B rests on an approved I-129 petition and a Labor Condition Application, and the PERM action touches neither; the dates on your I-797 and I-94 do not change. What it can change, as of 2026-11-01, is whether you can extend past six years if your PERM was filed late or not at all.
Will Wipro restart my green card?
Nobody outside DOL knows yet. As of 2026-11-01 DOL has published no written notice, legal basis or end date. The PERM fraud regulation, 20 CFR 656.31, allows an initial suspension of up to 180 days that can be extended until an investigation ends, but DOL has not publicly invoked it. Ask Wipro for your PERM filing date and status in writing.
Does Wipro hire OPT students from US universities?
Wipro Limited had 601 initial H-1B approvals in FY2024, the bucket where an F-1 student's first H-1B is counted, but the Data Hub does not show how many went to US graduates. For STEM OPT, Wipro must use E-Verify, sign the Form I-983 and deliver the training itself, even at a client site. Ask the recruiter whether the role takes OPT candidates.
Can I transfer my H-1B out of Wipro and keep my priority date?
If your I-140 is approved, generally yes. Under 8 CFR 204.5(e) you keep its priority date for later EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 petitions unless the approval is revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation, a revoked or invalidated labor certification, or material error. Your new employer still files its own PERM and I-140. A PERM that is only pending gives you no priority date to carry.