Department of Labor Proposes Stricter PERM Immigration Program and Holds Hearings on Forced-Labor Tariffs

The Department of Labor's 2026 Regulatory Plan includes proposals to make the permanent labor certification process (PERM) more stringent by "improving the minimum standards" employers must follow for immigrant visas. Concurrently, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is holding a three-day hearing on proposed forced-labor tariffs targeting 60 countries, a move critiqued as an attempt to circumvent a recent Supreme Court decision limiting presidential tariff powers.