The Times of India · 12 Oct, 20:43 · Business briefing

PERM certifications at 13 IT companies fell to 607 in 9 months from 1,670 in FY25

Recent data indicates a significant decline in PERM certification applications for IT professionals across thirteen major companies.

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

26%average salary uplift after a professional certificate

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71%of leaders prefer candidates who upskill continuously

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Recent data indicates a significant decline in PERM certification applications for IT professionals across thirteen major companies. Applications dropped to 607 in the last nine months, compared to 1,670 in the previous financial year. This sharp reduction suggests a cooling demand for foreign IT labour or stricter hiring practices within these organisations. Professionals should note this trend as it reflects shifting recruitment priorities and potentially reduced opportunities for visa-sponsored roles in the technology sector during this period.

Employer demand for Cyber Security skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This decline signals that traditional IT hiring pathways are contracting. You must pivot from relying on volume recruitment to demonstrating indispensable, high-value expertise. Specialised skills in security and data architecture will rise in value, as companies prioritise retention over broad hiring. Focus on upskilling in areas that directly protect revenue or mitigate risk. Do not assume your current role is secure; proactively build a portfolio showcasing complex problem-solving abilities. Network internally to understand your company’s strategic direction. If you depend on sponsorship, diversify your skills into adjacent fields like compliance or cloud infrastructure to remain attractive. Act now to future-proof your career against this tightening market.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Data Science and Compliance And Governance — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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