• Mon - Fri 9.00 - 19.00
Open

Blog

Tamara's World  /  Blog
24 Oct 2026
Government building representing the DOL PERM suspension announcement

8 Major Employers Just Lost Their Green Card Pipeline — Here’s Why

Categories Immigration, Work Permits

The US Department of Labor announced on October 8, 2026, that it will stop accepting new labor certification applications tied to eight employers. It will also suspend processing of pending ones. The DOL PERM suspension covers Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. Officials described the move as following an investigation into possible misuse of employment-based immigration programs.

Laptop and paperwork representing applications affected by the DOL PERM suspension

What the DOL PERM suspension actually does

PERM, formally the Program Electronic Review Management system, is a required step for most EB-2 and EB-3 green card cases. An employer must complete it before filing the next-stage petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employers generally must show two things. First, that qualified US workers were unavailable for the role. Second, that hiring a foreign national will not harm wages or working conditions for comparable US employees. The Department of Labor runs this certification stage. USCIS handles the I-140 petition that follows.

A regulation, 20 C.F.R. § 656.31(b), gives the department this suspension power. It can suspend PERM processing for an employer connected to possible fraud or willful misrepresentation. It can also act against one under investigation by another federal agency. An initial suspension can run up to 180 days. After that, the department can resume normal processing, or it can extend the suspension while the underlying investigation continues.

How the suspension was announced

Vice President J.D. Vance announced the action at a press conference on October 8. DOL Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito confirmed that investigators had served subpoenas as part of the inquiry. Vance said the suspensions would last “as long as it needs to.” That language goes beyond the regulation’s built-in 180-day review point. Employment attorneys have criticized the open-ended wording. They argue it conflicts with how the suspension authority is meant to work.

The action builds on Executive Order 14431, which the administration signed September 18, 2026. That order directs three agencies, the State Department, Labor Department and Department of Homeland Security, to weigh a specific factor when reviewing H-1B applications. They must consider whether a sponsoring employer has conducted or planned layoffs of similarly situated US workers. The order also directs DOL’s Wage and Hour Division to review past labor condition applications that employers under scrutiny had filed.

What a suspension is not

A PERM suspension is not itself a finding of fraud. No court or agency has found that the named companies violated any law. The Labor Department has not made specific allegations publicly as of this report, either. If the investigation turns up no fraud, the department must still decide the suspended applications on their individual merits once processing resumes. If investigators do find fraud, the consequences escalate. The department can deny applications containing false statements. It can also bar a company from the PERM program for up to three years. Already-approved labor certifications stay in effect unless a separate revocation process opens, and none has as part of this announcement.

The suspension also leaves the H-1B status of current workers at the eight companies unchanged. What it removes, for now, is one of the main paths those workers have toward permanent residence. A pending or future PERM application simply cannot move forward while the employer remains on the suspended list.

What happens next for affected workers and employers

Employment attorneys are advising companies more broadly, not just the eight named firms, to take several steps now. They recommend reviewing recent layoffs alongside any pending H-1B or PERM filings. They also recommend auditing wage compliance and preparing for a possible subpoena or suspension notice. The Department of Labor is expected to send written notices to each named employer. Those notices should describe exactly which applications are covered and for how long. Those details were not fully public as of this report. Further enforcement actions against other employers look likely in the coming weeks and months, given the administration’s stated intent to expand the review.

Companies with pending H-1B petitions elsewhere in the economy are watching closely too. The same executive order gives agencies broad discretion to flag other sponsors for similar scrutiny.

More US immigration coverage

US work visa policy is moving on multiple tracks right now. See our reports on the status of the $100,000 H-1B fee, the proposed OPT fee for F-1 students, and the updated US public charge rule.

DOL PERM suspension: frequently asked questions

  • Which companies are affected by the DOL PERM suspension? Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini.
  • When was the suspension announced? The Department of Labor announced the suspension on October 8, 2026, at a press conference led by Vice President J.D. Vance.
  • How long can a PERM suspension last? An initial suspension can run up to 180 days, with the department able to extend it while an investigation continues.
  • Does the suspension mean the companies committed fraud? No. A suspension is not a fraud finding. No specific violations have been alleged publicly as of this report.
  • Does this affect workers’ current H-1B status? No. The suspension does not change current H-1B status, but it blocks a main path to permanent residence while it remains in effect.
  • What executive order is connected to this action? Executive Order 14431, signed September 18, 2026, which directs federal agencies to scrutinize H-1B sponsors that have conducted layoffs.

Sources for this coverage

24 Oct 2026
FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting

FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Rule: What Foreign Founders Must Know

Categories Business

FinCEN beneficial ownership reporting for companies formed in the United States is permanently over, but foreign companies that register to do business in a US state can still have to report. FinCEN issued its final rule on 11 August 2026, and it took effect on 14 August, according to Greenberg Traurig. For founders outside the US, the answer depends on where the company was formed.

At a glance

What the final rule does

According to BDO, the rule (RIN 1506-AB67) makes permanent the relief from beneficial ownership reporting for US companies under the Corporate Transparency Act. It adopts the interim final rule of 26 March 2025 without substantive changes. Greenberg Traurig adds that US companies and US persons are permanently exempt, that FinCEN will delete information previously reported about individuals it reasonably believes are US persons, and that US persons who applied for FinCEN IDs need not update their original information.

Who still reports

Foreign legal entities that registered to do business in a US state or Tribal jurisdiction by filing with a secretary of state or similar office may still qualify as reporting companies, according to both firms. Greenberg Traurig says such entities may need to report beneficial ownership information about their foreign owners. Several entity types are exempt, including some public companies, banks, securities brokers and dealers, insurance companies, and registered investment companies and advisers, so each foreign entity should check the criteria. Foreign companies generally do not need to report US persons, and are exempt from reporting US persons who are company applicants.

Deadlines

BDO says foreign reporting companies must file within 30 calendar days after receiving notice that their US registration is effective, and that transition rules applied to foreign entities registered before the interim final rule was published. Neither article gives penalty amounts, so we do not state any. Foreign individuals must still report changes to information submitted for their FinCEN IDs, according to Greenberg Traurig.

What it means for founders

Consider a hypothetical case. Priya is an Indian founder with a company formed in India that plans to register in a US state to sell there. That structure is a foreign entity registering to do business, so it is the type the sources say may still report. A founder who instead forms a new company under US state law would be a domestic company under the rule as the firms describe it. The structure, not the founder’s passport, drives the answer, so confirm your facts with a US adviser. Tamara News does not give legal advice.

Practical next steps

List where each entity was formed and where it is registered. Check the exemption list against your business. Note the 30-day clock from the date a US registration becomes effective. Keep records of ownership in case banks, partners or states ask for them, since reporting relief at the federal level does not remove other transparency rules, such as the UK identity verification deadline at Companies House or the beneficial ownership rules we described in our Vietnam company formation guide. If you are weighing jurisdictions for a new company, see our company formation service, and use FinCEN’s own page at fincen.gov/boi for official updates.

Beneficial ownership questions

Is beneficial ownership reporting over for US companies?

Yes. According to BDO and Greenberg Traurig, FinCEN’s final rule permanently exempts US companies and US persons.

When was the final rule issued?

FinCEN issued it on 11 August 2026 and it became effective on 14 August 2026, according to Greenberg Traurig.

Do foreign companies still report?

Foreign entities registered to do business in a US state may still qualify as reporting companies, according to both firms.

What is the filing deadline?

BDO says foreign reporting companies file within 30 calendar days after notice that their US registration is effective.

Do foreign companies report US owners?

BDO says foreign companies generally do not need to report beneficial owners who are US persons.

Where do I check for updates?

FinCEN publishes updates on its beneficial ownership information page. Take advice from a US lawyer for your own structure.

Sources

24 Oct 2026
Enterprise technology linked to the IBM Q3 2026 earnings results

IBM’s ‘Legacy’ Mainframe Business Just Delivered a Surprise

Categories Business

IBM reported its IBM Q3 2026 earnings on October 21, beating profit expectations and raising its full-year revenue outlook. The company said it now expects 4% to 5% revenue growth for 2026. That outlook is carried by strength in its software division and renewed demand for its IBM Z mainframe line. The results, filed with the SEC the same day, mark one of the stronger quarters in IBM’s multi-year turnaround effort.

Enterprise server rack wiring tied to the IBM Q3 2026 earnings mainframe story

What drove the IBM Q3 2026 earnings beat

Two businesses did most of the work. Software revenue grew on continued enterprise adoption of IBM’s AI and automation tools. At the same time, the IBM Z mainframe franchise saw renewed order activity. That is a notable result for a product line many analysts had written off as a legacy business in slow decline. Coverage of the results described the mainframe performance as a surprise, given Wall Street’s expectations heading into the quarter.

IBM’s raised full-year guidance signals something specific: management expects both trends to hold through the rest of 2026, not just produce a one-quarter spike. A 4% to 5% revenue growth rate would be among IBM’s strongest full-year results in years. That marks a real shift. IBM’s top line barely grew for much of the past decade before this turnaround effort began.

Analysts covering the stock pointed to the mainframe order strength as the more surprising half of the beat. Software growth had already been trending upward for several quarters. A pickup in mainframe demand, though, was not something most forecasts had priced in heading into the earnings call.

AI spending reaches IBM’s traditional businesses

The quarter illustrates a broader pattern in enterprise technology spending. AI investment is no longer confined to chipmakers and cloud providers. IBM’s software gains came largely from clients layering automation and AI tooling onto existing systems. That includes the same mainframe environments that process the bulk of global banking and insurance transactions. This gives IBM a different kind of AI exposure than companies that sell GPUs or cloud capacity directly. IBM is monetizing AI adoption inside infrastructure enterprises already depend on, rather than selling the underlying hardware itself.

Whether that pattern continues depends on two things. First, enterprise IT budgets need to hold up through the rest of the year. Second, competitors need to stay unable to offer comparable automation tools at lower cost. IBM is betting that deep integration with mainframe and legacy systems is hard to replicate quickly. That is also why a mainframe order uptick matters more for IBM’s outlook than it would for a company without that same installed base of enterprise customers.

Enterprise buyers themselves have described the appeal in similar terms during recent industry surveys. Moving AI workloads onto systems they already run, rather than standing up new infrastructure, cuts both cost and integration risk at once. IBM’s quarter suggests that argument is translating into actual contract signings, not just survey responses. That distinction matters for anyone trying to gauge whether the trend has staying power.

What happens through the rest of 2026

IBM’s next real test comes with its full-year results early next year. That is when the 4% to 5% revenue growth guidance either holds or gets revised. Investors will also watch two other things. Does software momentum broaden beyond the segments that drove this quarter? And does mainframe order strength reflect a genuine multi-year refresh cycle among large customers? Or is it a shorter-term bump tied to a handful of specific deals?

If the mainframe strength proves durable, it would mark a turning point. IBM has spent years defending that product category against predictions of terminal decline. If it fades by the next earnings cycle, though, this quarter will likely be remembered differently: a one-off boosted by AI-era enthusiasm, rather than a lasting shift in enterprise buying patterns. Either way, the next two quarterly reports should settle the question one way or the other. Until then, IBM’s own guidance remains the clearest signal of how confident management is in what this quarter showed. The company has staked much of its multi-year turnaround narrative on exactly this combination of steady software growth and a revived mainframe franchise, so a repeat performance next quarter would carry real weight with investors who have watched IBM promise a comeback before.

More enterprise tech coverage

This earnings season is proving eventful across the technology sector. See our coverage of TSMC’s Q3 2026 earnings and AI chip demand, Microsoft’s Maia 300 chip plans, and Anthropic’s Q3 2026 revenue results.

IBM earnings: frequently asked questions

  • Did IBM beat earnings expectations in Q3 2026? Yes. IBM’s third-quarter results beat profit expectations and came with raised full-year revenue guidance.
  • What is IBM’s new 2026 revenue guidance? IBM now expects 4% to 5% revenue growth for 2026, an increase from its prior outlook.
  • What drove IBM’s strong quarter? Software revenue growth and renewed demand for the IBM Z mainframe line were the two main contributors.
  • Is IBM’s mainframe business growing again? Yes. Mainframe order activity picked up in the quarter, a result commentators described as a surprise given the product line’s legacy reputation.
  • How is IBM benefiting from AI spending? IBM is monetizing AI adoption through automation tools sold into existing enterprise software and mainframe environments, rather than through chip or cloud sales.
  • When will IBM’s next results confirm the trend? IBM’s full-year 2026 results, expected early next year, will show whether the revised guidance held.

Sources and further reading

24 Oct 2026
International student reviewing documents related to UK student visa funds

UK Student Visa Costs Are Rising Nov 30 — Here’s How to Beat the Deadline

Categories Study Abroad, Uk, Visa Updates

The UK is raising how much money international students must show to qualify for a Student visa. Changes to UK student visa funds requirements set a new minimum for applications made on or after 30 November 2026. The government published the change on 3 September 2026. It came in a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules known as HC 584.

A student preparing documents, relevant to UK student visa funds requirements

What is changing in UK student visa funds requirements

Students applying for courses in London will need to show £1,570 per month, up from £1,529. The nine-month maximum rises to £14,130, up from £13,761. Outside London, the monthly figure rises to £1,203 from £1,171, with a nine-month maximum of £10,827, up from £10,539. The accommodation offset cap also rises in line with the London figure, moving from £1,529 to £1,570. That cap applies when a sponsor arranges housing on a student’s behalf.

The increases are modest in percentage terms, roughly 2.7% to 3%. Even so, the increase is real in cash terms. It adds several hundred pounds to the total an applicant must show before the Home Office grants a visa.

Why the date of application is what counts

The Home Office has stated plainly that the application date determines which maintenance figure applies. The date a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, or CAS, was issued does not matter. Neither does the course start date. Neither does the date shown on a bank statement. Submit on or before 29 November 2026, and an applicant gets assessed against the lower, current figures, even if the course itself starts well into 2027. Submit on 30 November or later, and the new, higher thresholds apply instead.

That distinction matters for planning. Take a prospective student who already holds a CAS for a course starting in early 2027. That student can still apply under the current, lower maintenance requirement. The application itself just needs to go in before the cutoff date. Waiting until after 30 November to submit that same application would require showing the higher amount instead.

Who the change affects

The new figures apply to the Student visa route. That route covers international students coming to the UK for degree-level and other eligible courses. Nationality makes no difference here. Every applicant on the route faces the same requirement, regardless of where they come from. The Home Office applies its maintenance-fund rules uniformly across every Student visa applicant.

What happens before 30 November

Students with an upcoming application should check which figure applies based on when they plan to submit, not when their course starts. Universities and visa advisers typically update their own guidance once a Statement of Changes like HC 584 takes effect. Even so, applicants should confirm the current threshold directly against Home Office guidance. Older published figures can lag behind rule changes by several weeks. A university’s own webpage is not always the most current source as a result.

Students who are unsure which figure applies can check Home Office guidance directly. They can also ask their university’s international office to confirm the current threshold before submitting.

Visa advisers also note a practical wrinkle worth planning around: bank statements used to prove maintenance funds must meet the Home Office’s own freshness and format rules, separate from the amount itself. An applicant who gathers the right documents early, rather than rushing them together just before the 30 November cutoff, reduces the risk of a refusal over a technicality rather than the funds themselves. That kind of avoidable refusal is especially costly for students on a tight timeline to a specific course start date, since reapplying can take weeks they may not have to spare. Advisers describe it as the single most preventable reason a strong application still gets turned down. It is also one of the simplest issues to fix, since it only requires planning ahead rather than meeting any additional financial threshold. With the 30 November deadline now firmly set, that planning window is shrinking fast for anyone who has not yet started gathering the right documents together.

More UK visa coverage

UK visa policy has shifted on several fronts this month. See our reports on the recent surge in UK student visa refusals, UK Erasmus+ visa rules for students and visitors, and the Hong Kong BNO visa settlement rules also introduced under HC 584.

UK student visa funds: frequently asked questions

  • When do the new UK student visa funds take effect? The higher maintenance fund requirements apply to applications made on or after 30 November 2026.
  • How much do London students need to show? £1,570 per month, or £14,130 for a nine-month course, up from £1,529 and £13,761.
  • How much do students outside London need to show? £1,203 per month, or £10,827 for nine months, up from £1,171 and £10,539.
  • Does the course start date determine which figure applies? No. The date the visa application is submitted determines which maintenance figure applies, not the course start date or CAS issue date.
  • Can I still apply under the current, lower figures? Yes, if the application is submitted on or before 29 November 2026, regardless of when the course itself begins.
  • Which immigration rule introduced this change? The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 584, published 3 September 2026.

Official sources

24 Oct 2026
Clarendon Scholarship Oxford

Clarendon Scholarship Oxford 2027-28: Deadlines and How It Works

Categories Scholarships, Study Abroad, Uk

The Clarendon Scholarship Oxford programme funds more than 200 new postgraduate students a year, and you are considered automatically if you apply to your course by its December or January deadline. Oxford’s own Clarendon page says no separate application is needed. With the 2027-28 cycle open, the practical task is to find your course’s exact deadline and apply on time.

In this guide

What the scholarship covers

According to Oxford, the scholarship pays course fees plus a grant for living expenses for the period of fee liability. It is awarded for outstanding academic merit and potential, and Oxford says there are over 200 new, fully funded scholarships each year. A third-party guide, Opportunity Inside, adds that the living grant is at least the UK Research and Innovation doctoral minimum, and prints a figure of £20,780 for 2025-26 while advising that the 2027-28 amount be confirmed. Treat that figure as a guide rather than a promise, since we could not verify it on an Oxford page.

Who is considered

The same guide says any nationality is eligible, with no country quota, for new full-time or part-time Oxford master’s and DPhil courses in any subject. It says departments nominate candidates, deferred offers are not considered, and continuing the same Oxford degree is not funded. Oxford’s page confirms the key rule: automatic consideration for those who meet the December or January deadline.

Consider a hypothetical case. Ngozi is a Nigerian public-health graduate who plans a one-year master’s in Oxford. Because the scholarship is automatic, her task is not to write a separate essay but to submit a strong course application, with references and transcripts in place, before the deadline for her course. If she misses that deadline, she is not considered for Clarendon funding in that cycle.

Deadlines for 2027-28 entry

Oxford’s page says only that the relevant deadline is in December or January, depending on the course, and does not list dates. The third-party guide lists 26 January 2027 in its details box, with a noon UK cut-off, and says applications opened in September 2026. It also says divisions meet in February or March 2027 and most first offers go out by the end of April 2027. Because these are secondary reports, check the exact date on your course page in the Oxford course directory before relying on them.

How to apply

Identify your course and its deadline, prepare the full application, and submit it by noon UK time on the day. Do not wait for the last hour, since documents and references are part of the deadline. After that, departments nominate candidates and there is no separate scholarship form to fill in. If you are choosing between several UK courses, the visa eligibility checker can help you plan the study-visa side alongside funding.

Other funding routes

Clarendon is one of several routes for postgraduate study abroad. Tamara News has also covered the Gates Cambridge deadlines, the Commonwealth master’s scholarships, the Chevening timeline and the Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes. Several have passed or are close, so apply to more than one where you qualify.

Clarendon questions

Do I need a separate Clarendon application?

No. Oxford says you are automatically considered if you apply by the December or January deadline for your course.

What does it cover?

Oxford says course fees plus a grant for living expenses for the period of fee liability.

How many scholarships are there?

Oxford says over 200 new, fully funded scholarships each year.

What is the deadline?

December 2026 or January 2027, depending on your course. A third-party guide lists 26 January 2027 for one deadline, so check your course page.

Is there a nationality restriction?

The third-party guide says any nationality can be considered, with no country quota.

Can I defer an offer?

The third-party guide says deferred offers are not considered for the scholarship.

Sources

1 … 19 20 21 22 23 … 274