India on Friday criticised the United States’ decision to suspend eight major technology companies from its Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, warning that the move ‘undermines the shared ambitions’ of the two countries, while strongly objecting to US Vice President JD Vance’s description of H-1B visa workers as “indentured servants”.
US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling had announced the suspension of several major technology and outsourcing firms from the Permanent Labour Certification programme, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. In its statement on Friday, the MEA stressed that the PERM programme, which is linked to employment-based permanent residency, is separate from the H-1B visa programme. “It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the suspension of PERM applications would not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of visa holders and their dependents. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies,” the ministry said. “The steps announced by the US do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries,” the ministry said, adding that it expected all stakeholders to recognise the value of talent mobility. The ministry also took issue with comments by US Vice President JD Vance, who described H-1B visa workers as “indentured servants” while speaking at a news conference on visa fraud on Thursday. “Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” the ministry said.
