JD Vance says his criticism of H-1B visas was aimed at employers, not foreign workers.
India’s MEA calls his remarks “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive”.
The Trump administration suspends eight technology firms from the PERM green card process.
US Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged that his rhetoric was “imperfect” after describing H-1B visa workers as “foreign indentured servants”, saying his criticism was directed at employers rather than foreign professionals. His clarification comes amid criticism from India and a separate Trump administration move to suspend major technology companies, including Indian IT firms, from the PERM process used in many employer-sponsored green card applications.
Speaking at a CBS News town hall that aired on Saturday, October 17, Vance was challenged by a voter who accused him of scapegoating immigrants for problems the administration was supposed to address. He accepted responsibility for his choice of words but maintained that the H-1B system gives employers excessive control over foreign workers whose immigration status depends on their employment.
The exchange comes as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of skilled-worker immigration. Separately, restrictions on employment-based green card applications have raised concerns about the ability of foreign professionals to secure permanent residency through their employers. The remarks and the suspensions are separate developments within the administration’s wider scrutiny of skilled-worker immigration.
Vance Says His Criticism Was Directed At Employers
According to Associated Press (AP), a voter who said she had voted for Vance after becoming a US citizen challenged him over his remarks about H-1B visa holders. She accused the Vice President of “scapegoating immigrants for the issues you're supposed to be solving”.
“To the extent that my rhetoric has been imperfect here, that's on me,” Vance said.
Explaining his earlier remarks, Vance argued that companies could exploit foreign workers by making their ability to remain in the US dependent on their employment. Under the H-1B system, workers who lose their jobs may have to find another employer willing and able to sponsor them within the applicable immigration rules or risk losing their lawful status.
Vance said this arrangement could discourage workers from challenging their employers or raising concerns about workplace conditions.
“My goal here is not to dehumanize any immigrant,” he said, according to CBS News’ account of the town hall. He maintained that his criticism was directed at companies that bring foreign workers into the US while laying off American employees.
Vance’s clarification focused on the power employers can exercise over workers whose immigration status is tied to their jobs. He did not abandon his criticism of the programme, but sought to distinguish foreign professionals from the companies that recruit them.
Vance Refers To Wife Usha’s Indian Heritage
Vance also spoke about his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, whose parents immigrated to the US from South India. He said he loved his in-laws and was proud of his wife while maintaining that his concerns centred on the way employers use the immigration system.
The reference to his family came amid criticism of his description of H-1B visa holders. His response sought to distinguish his personal relationships with immigrants from his argument that the US should scrutinise how companies recruit foreign workers.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described Vance’s remarks as “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive”, saying they ignored the contributions of highly educated and skilled Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem.
Indian nationals account for a substantial share of H-1B visa beneficiaries. The programme allows US employers to hire foreign professionals for specialised occupations, including technology and engineering roles, making changes to skilled-worker immigration particularly relevant to Indian employees and technology companies.
The MEA’s response added a diplomatic dimension to the controversy, which concerns both the treatment of foreign workers and the administration’s efforts to change how employers recruit them.
US Suspends Major Tech Firms From Green Card Programme
The dispute comes as the Trump administration has suspended major technology companies from the Permanent Labour Certification programme, known as PERM, a key step in many employer-sponsored employment-based green card applications.
Reuters reported on October 8 that the US government had suspended Microsoft, Adobe and six major IT outsourcing companies from the programme. The affected firms include Indian companies Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies, alongside Cognizant and France-based Capgemini.
The administration said the action was intended to address alleged misuse of the system and protect American workers. Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the government would not accept new or process pending PERM applications involving the affected companies, Reuters reported.
Under the PERM process, employers generally must demonstrate that there are not sufficient qualified and available American workers for a position and that employing a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers.
The suspensions do not automatically cancel existing H-1B visas held by employees of the affected companies. However, they restrict a route to permanent residency for eligible foreign professionals whose green card applications depend on employer sponsorship.
The administration has accused some companies of using foreign workers while laying off American employees. Vance has specifically criticised Microsoft, citing its use of H-1B visas alongside workforce reductions.
Microsoft has disputed the allegations. Its president, Brad Smith, called Vance’s accusations ‘completely off base’ and warned that restrictions on green card access could damage US technological competitiveness and drive skilled professionals overseas, Reuters reported on October 15, citing an interview with Politico.
Debate Over Skilled Immigration Continues
The H-1B programme has long been contested in the US. Supporters argue that it allows companies to recruit skilled professionals when suitable workers are difficult to find domestically. Critics contend that some employers use the programme to reduce labour costs or make foreign employees more dependent on their sponsors.
Vance’s clarification places the emphasis on employer practices rather than the workers who use the visa route. However, his choice of words has drawn criticism from India, while the PERM suspensions have raised concerns about the prospects of foreign professionals seeking permanent residency through their employers.
The H-1B controversy and the PERM suspensions concern separate aspects of skilled immigration. Vance has clarified that his criticism was directed at employers, while the suspensions have restricted a route to permanent residency for eligible foreign workers sponsored by the affected companies.
