New Delhi: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly condemned Washington’s decision to bar several prominent IT companies from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme, and has expressed displeasure over remarks by US Vice President JD Vance about Indian workers.
Vance suspended Microsoft’s participation in PERM, alleging the company was laying off American employees and replacing them with foreign workers. He said Microsoft laid off 6,000 Americans last year while hiring 6,300 H-1B visa holders and 3,000 green card holders over the same period. He further claimed that for every American laid off, more than one foreign “indentured” worker was brought in.
The MEA lodged a strong protest over the comments. It stated that Indian professionals play a key role in the American economy, particularly in research, innovation and productivity growth, and that the cooperation between the two countries benefits companies and people on both sides.
The ministry noted that immigrants have contributed enormously to America’s development over the years. It described the use of the term “indentured labour,” which evokes bitter memories of the colonial era, as regrettable, saying it amounted to an insult to the skills of these professionals. More than 52 lakh people of Indian origin currently live in the United States.
Citing concerns that foreign workers are taking jobs from Americans, the US government has temporarily barred eight major IT firms from the PERM programme: Microsoft, Tata, Wipro, Infosys, Adobe, Cognizant, HCL and Capgemini.
Clarifying the scope of the decision, the Indian government said PERM relates to green card processing and does not directly apply to H-1B visas. It added that, for now, the move poses no immediate threat to the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of their family members. However, it cautioned that the decision could adversely affect the green card process for employees at the affected companies.