Google to ramp up green card filings in 2026, excludes remote staff

Google has informed employees that it plans to ramp up applications under the Program Electronic Review Management system in 2026 for eligible staff, though the move will not apply to remote workers, according to a report by Business Insider.

PERM, also known as labour certification, is the first step in the process of obtaining a US green card, which allows foreign nationals to live and work permanently in the United States. The process enables employees to transition from temporary work visas to permanent residency and is commonly used in the technology sector to move workers from H-1B status to green cards.

Google stated in its December employee newsletter that staff eligible for PERM would be contacted by the company’s external legal counsel in the first quarter of 2026, Business Insider reported.

The development comes at a time when the H-1B visa programme is facing increased scrutiny and political pushback in parts of the United States, amid concerns that foreign workers may be displacing American jobseekers.

In its internal memo, Google stated that employees must be working from an office location to be considered for PERM, informing that visa holders working remotely would not be eligible. The company said that remote employees would need to agree to transfer to an office in order to qualify for the green card sponsorship process.

Business Insider had earlier reported that Google paused PERM applications in January 2023, the same month the company announced layoffs affecting around 12,000 employees. The report also stated that Google filed PERM applications for a limited number of employees in 2025, citing a person familiar with the matter.