India condemns US Vice President JD Vance's 'indentured servants' comment on H-1B workers
India's Ministry of External Affairs called JD Vance's description of H-1B visa holders as "indentured servants" unwarranted and offensive, defending Indian professionals in the United States.
India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong statement after US Vice President JD Vance referred to H-1B visa employees as "indentured servants," calling the phrasing unwarranted and deeply offensive. The ministry emphasized that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and vital to the American economy and innovation ecosystem, and that immigrants have historically driven US prosperity. It condemned the use of terminology with colonial and painful historical baggage.
While acknowledging the US Department of Labor's decision to suspend PERM applications for several tech firms, the ministry clarified that the PERM halt does not invalidate current H-1B visas or the status of their holders, though it could affect green-card pathways. The statement underscored that talent mobility creates mutual benefits for both nations and urged all stakeholders to recognize this shared advantage.
Why it matters
The dispute spotlights tensions over skilled-worker immigration policies affecting Indian tech talent and US labor markets.
How this story developed
- Sep 16 Vice President JD Vance pushes reforms to keep H-1B visas from displacing U.S. workers
- Sep 23 Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals who facilitate birth tourism just before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington.
- Oct 3 President Trump issued a proclamation extending the $100,000 H‑1B visa fee to September 2027.
- Oct 4 The visa limits were announced alongside ongoing Justice Department actions against birth‑tourism operators.
In this story
Related stories
17 in this thread