US Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged that “indentured servants,” the term he used for H-1B visa workers, was not the right choice of words, following criticism that included a formal objection from India.
Vance said his remarks were aimed at American companies that hire H-1B workers and at the visa program itself, not at the workers. “If my comments were not right, I take responsibility for that,” he said at a town hall hosted by CBS, adding that he was not referring to every H-1B holder.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs had called the characterization deeply distressing, saying it carried serious historical and colonial-era connotations. The ministry also said the comments overlooked the contribution Indian professionals make to the US economy and its innovation sector.
Explaining his reasoning, Vance said an H-1B worker who loses a job relies on the visa as the main basis for staying in the country. A dispute with an employer could cost the job, and a cancelled visa could mean being sent home. Because employment and immigration status are linked, he argued, companies hold greater leverage over such workers. He also said firms sometimes bring in foreign workers after claiming no suitable American candidate could be found.
Vance had earlier asserted that H-1B workers earn about $20,000 less than American citizens in the same roles, and that those placed through foreign outsourcing companies earn about $48,000 less. He accused foreign firms of profiting by hiring at lower pay while laying off American employees.