India has condemned US Vice-President JD Vance’s description of Indian H-1B workers as “foreign indentured servants”, calling it deeply offensive. New PERM restrictions could delay green-card sponsorship for employees at Microsoft and other major IT firms, though existing H-1B visas remain valid.
India has strongly criticised US Vice-President JD Vance for describing Indian H-1B workers as “foreign indentured servants”, calling the remarks “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive”.
Vice President JD Vance announces the suspension of the PERM Program for Microsoft:
“Thanks to an ongoing investigation, we have decided to suspend the PERM program for Microsoft, which means they will no longer be able to take those H-1Bs and apply for permanent resident status within the United States of America. Now our message to Microsoft and to any other foreign or domestic corporation is quite simple. We obviously want you to thrive in the United States of America. We want people to invest in the United States of America, particularly the American technology sector. We’re the biggest boosters of your industry. We want you to continue to grow and to employ a lot of people, but we want you to employ American workers. And so our message to Microsoft is, you’re great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers. You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.”
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) October 8, 2026
In a post on X, Vance said the US had decided to suspend Microsoft’s participation in the PERM programme following an ongoing investigation. This means the company would no longer be able to sponsor eligible H-1B workers for permanent residency through the programme, he said. Vance said the Trump administration wanted companies to “employ American workers” and could not “lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants”.
Speaking at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the description ignored the contribution of highly skilled Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem.
#WATCH | Delhi: On the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision concerning the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme for certain companies, MEA Spox Randhir Jaiswal says, “We are aware of the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision concerning the Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, for certain companies. It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though it could have some impact on the permanent residency or green card process for eligible employees of the affected companies. It should also be clear that talent mobility adds value to both economies, that of India and that of the United States. While it creates opportunities for Indians, it equally benefits U.S. companies by providing access to cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness, and job creation. Besides creating shareholder wealth in the United States, this is an area of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries. Our expectation is that all stakeholders in this process will appreciate this fact. The steps announced by the U.S. do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries. We continue to follow developments on this particular issue.”
He adds, “Regarding the comments made by the U.S. Vice President, let me say that we believe such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem. Indeed, the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise, and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity. Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive.”
— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026
“Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial-legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” Jaiswal said.
The criticism came after the Trump administration announced a crackdown on alleged visa-programme fraud and restricted some companies from applying for permanent labour certification under the PERM green-card sponsorship programme.
Companies affected reportedly include Microsoft, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies.