On Thursday, immigration attorneys Rahul Reddy and Emily Neumann warned that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has stalled premium‑processing of H‑1B extensions for Microsoft, Cognizant and Infosys, leaving workers in a legal gray zone.
The H‑1B extension requires an employer to file Form I‑129 and, if desired, a premium‑processing Form I‑907, which USCIS must act upon within 15 business days. The delay means the agencies are not meeting the statutory 15‑day window, forcing employers to wait for a decision that could be an approval, denial or request for evidence.
Last year, the Department of Labor halted new green‑card PERM filings for Cognizant amid a federal fraud probe, and a Trump‑era rule now screens sponsoring employers for past layoffs of American workers. Whether these regulatory shifts are behind the current freeze remains unconfirmed, but the attorneys suggest a link.
Reddy said Microsoft and Infosys have large contingents of Indian staff whose visas are at risk, while Neumann added that the agencies have yet to communicate a reason for the holdup. Both lawyers have called on USCIS to issue a formal statement, and they are preparing to raise the issue before a congressional committee next month.