India protests US restrictions on Green Card PERM process

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has expressed strong opposition to recent US actions regarding the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program. The US government has suspended several major IT outsourcing firms, including Infosys, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe, from participating in the PERM process. This move follows allegations that the H-1B visa system is being misused to replace American workers with foreign labor.

India has condemned remarks made by US Vice President JD Vance, who referred to foreign workers as ‘indentured servants.’ The Indian Ministry stated that such comments are unnecessary and ignore the fact that Indian professionals are highly skilled contributors to the US economy, innovation, and productivity.

The Ministry clarified that while the suspension of PERM applications does not invalidate existing H-1B visas or change the status of current visa holders, it may impact the Green Card process for eligible employees at the affected companies. India emphasized that the free flow of talent benefits the economies of both nations and that these restrictions are not conducive to the shared ambitions of the two countries.