India
India Criticizes US Green Card Freeze on IT Firms, Calls Vance’s Comments Offensive
India’s external affairs ministry said on Friday that the United States’ decision to freeze green‑card filings for eight Indian IT companies—TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini—contravenes the shared goals of both countries. The ministry also condemned Vice President J.D. Vance’s description of foreign professionals as “indentured servants” as unwarranted and deeply offensive. The freeze, part of a broader visa crackdown aimed at curbing fraud and protecting U.S. jobs, targets the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process that has enabled skilled foreign workers to obtain permanent residency since 2005. The ministry noted that the suspension of PERM applications does not affect existing H‑1B visas, but it may impact the green‑card process for eligible employees of the affected companies. India highlighted the value of talent mobility for both economies, arguing that Indian professionals contribute significantly to U.S. innovation, productivity and job creation. The ministry said the U.S. actions do not advance shared ambitions and that the terminology used by Vance carries painful historical connotations. The move comes amid ongoing tensions between the two nations, including a recent tariff dispute that reached its lowest point in more than two decades. The U.S. labor secretary announced that no new or pending PERM applications involving the eight firms would be processed. The Trump administration has broadened efforts to limit foreign‑born workers’ pathways to residence and citizenship, including proposed increases to H‑1B visa fees. Microsoft is the largest filer of PERM applications, while Indian IT firms such as Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Cognizant have long been major users of H‑1B visas. Amazon, TCS, Infosys, Apple and Microsoft were the top employers of approved H‑1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, according to USCIS data.