India Calls JD Vance’s ‘Foreign Indentured Servants’ Remark Deeply Offensive Amid US H-1B Visa Row

India has strongly criticised US Vice President JD Vance for describing foreign workers as “foreign indentured servants”, calling the remark deeply offensive and saying it disregards the contributions of Indian professionals to the American economy and innovation ecosystem.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued the response on Friday, October 9, amid growing concerns over the United States’ decision to suspend the processing of certain applications under the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme, a key step in the employment-based green card process.

Vance made the remarks on October 8 while addressing the impact of the US decision on companies, including Microsoft, accusing firms of laying off American employees and replacing them with lower-paid foreign workers on H-1B visas.

India Says Vance’s Remarks Ignore Indian Professionals’ Contributions

Reacting to Vance’s comments, the MEA said the descriptions of Indian professionals were unwarranted and failed to recognise their role in strengthening the US economy and supporting innovation.

“We believe that 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,” the ministry said.

India also pointed to the historical role of immigrants in shaping the United States, saying generations of immigrants had contributed to the country’s growth and prosperity through their labour, enterprise and innovation.

“Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” the MEA added.

What JD Vance Said About H-1B Visa Holders

Vance criticised companies affected by the US suspension of PERM applications, arguing that American workers should not be laid off and replaced by foreign employees.

In a video message addressing Microsoft and other companies, the US Vice President said: “You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.”

His comments linked the PERM decision to broader concerns over the employment of foreign workers through the H-1B visa programme, which allows US employers to hire eligible skilled professionals from overseas.

Will the US PERM Suspension Affect Existing H-1B Visas?

The MEA clarified that the suspension of PERM applications does not automatically affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the immigration status of visa holders and their dependants.

However, eligible employees of the affected companies could face delays or other difficulties in their permanent residency or green card applications.

The ministry stressed that the PERM programme and the H-1B visa programme are separate immigration processes.

Eight Companies Affected by the US Decision

The US Department of Labor has suspended the processing of pending PERM applications and stopped accepting new applications under the programme for eight companies.

The affected firms include Indian IT majors Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and HCL Technologies, along with Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe.

The decision could affect employees seeking employer-sponsored permanent residency through these companies, although it does not, by itself, invalidate their existing H-1B visas.

India Says Talent Mobility Benefits Both Countries

The MEA said the movement of skilled professionals benefits both India and the United States by helping American companies access talent that contributes to research, innovation, productivity and job creation.

It added that the measures announced by Washington did not advance the shared ambitions of the two countries.

The exchange marks a fresh point of friction over skilled-worker mobility and immigration policy, with India defending the contribution of its professionals in the US as Washington takes steps affecting employment-based green card applications.