India has criticised US Vice President JD Vance for describing foreign workers as “indentured servants” amid Washington's crackdown on the green card process, calling his remarks “unwarranted”. New Delhi said Indian professionals make significant contributions to the US economy and innovation ecosystem, while the movement of skilled talent benefits both countries.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said skilled professionals help US companies access talent that drives innovation, research, productivity and competitiveness, while also supporting job creation and shareholder wealth.
"This is therefore an area of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries, and our expectation is that all stakeholders in this process can appreciate this fact. The steps announced by the US do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries," the Ministry said.
India objects to Vance's remarks
The Ministry took particular exception to Vance's description of foreign workers, saying it overlooked the contributions of Indian professionals in the US.
"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," the Ministry said.
It also pointed to the role immigrants have played in shaping the US economy and society over generations.
"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," the statement added.
More than 5.2 million people of Indian origin live in the US, according to recent estimates based on US Census data.
Eight IT firms barred from PERM programme
The diplomatic response follows the US decision to bar eight companies—Microsoft, Tata, Wipro, Infosys, Adobe, Cognizant, HCL and Capgemini—from participating in the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, a key stage in the employer-sponsored green card process.
The US administration has argued that the practice has shut American workers out of the job market. Vance suspended Microsoft's participation, accusing the company of replacing US employees with foreign workers.
"In the last year, Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers. At the same time, the company benefited from 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards. In other words, if you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants," Vance claimed.
India clarified that PERM is separate from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension alone does not invalidate existing H-1B visas or change the status of visa holders and their dependents, though it could affect eligible employees' green card applications.