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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIndia’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called US Vice President JD Vance’s description of foreign workers as “indentured servants” unwarranted and deeply offensive, citing the phrase’s painful historical and colonial connotations. The diplomatic protest came amid a reported US suspension of new and pending PERM labor-certification applications involving eight technology companies. That action concerns a step in many employment-based green-card cases; it does not, by itself, cancel existing H-1B visas.
What did Vance say, and why did India object?
Vance argued that companies bring in foreign workers to undercut US wages and replace American employees. Hindustan Times quoted him as saying: “Bring in indentured servants from outside the country, you lay off American workers and if you’re a corporation, you make a ton of money by undercutting the wages of American workers, replacing them with people who probably should not be in the United States of America to begin with.”
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India’s MEA rejected the characterization. As quoted by India Today, it said: “Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive.” Hindustan Times reported the ministry also said the description was unwarranted and ignored that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to the US economy and innovation ecosystem.
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The MEA’s response was not limited to the wording. It argued that talent mobility benefits both countries through talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness and job creation. India Today quoted the ministry saying it also creates “shareholder wealth in the US.” The MEA’s complete original statement was not independently available in the contemporaneous coverage cited here, so these statements are attributed as the outlets reported them.
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What was the separate US policy action?
In the same news cycle, Indian outlets reported that the US Department of Labor had stopped accepting or processing new and pending PERM applications involving eight companies: Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini. Hindustan Times quoted Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling: “We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies.”
The reported labor-certification action and India’s diplomatic objection are related news events, but they are not the same government action. The MEA criticized the phrase and said the US steps did not advance the two countries’ shared ambitions; the PERM action was a US administrative measure affecting specified applications and employers.
PERM and H-1B are different processes
| Process or status | What it concerns | What the reported action means |
|---|---|---|
| PERM labor certification | An employer process used in many employment-based green-card cases. | The reported suspension concerned new and pending applications involving the named companies, potentially disrupting or delaying eligible employees’ permanent-residency processing. |
| H-1B visa or status | A separate temporary work-visa category; it is not the PERM labor-certification process. | Contemporaneous reports said the PERM suspension did not by itself invalidate existing H-1B visas or automatically change the status of holders and dependents. |
For an Indian IT worker, the practical distinction is whether the issue is an existing H-1B stay or a PERM-based green-card case. The reports do not establish that the suspension automatically cancels a current visa. They do indicate that an eligible employee whose permanent-residency case depends on a covered PERM application could face disruption or delay. The exact effect on an individual case depends on its stage and circumstances.
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How to read Vance’s wage figures
One contemporaneous report attributed two wage comparisons to Vance: a claimed annual difference of $20,000 between an H-1B worker and a US citizen hired for the same position, and a claimed $48,000 difference for workers brought by foreign outsourcing firms compared with US citizens in similar positions. The report did not supply supporting data or methodology. These figures should therefore be treated as Vance’s assertions, not independently verified measures of wage differences.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established—and what remains uncertain
Contemporaneous Indian reporting on October 9–10, 2026, supports the central distinction: India condemned Vance’s language, while the reported US measure addressed PERM applications at eight companies. Those reports quote or summarize the MEA and describe the Department of Labor action, but the full official MEA statement and original Labor Department notice were not independently verified in the material available here. Because the action’s procedural status can change, workers should check current official notices and case-specific guidance before making immigration or employment decisions.
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