India rebukes Vance as US suspends firms from H-1B residency track
What's new: The Labor Department move bars Microsoft, Adobe and major Indian IT firms from seeking green cards for some visa workers.
India on Friday condemned Vice President J.D. Vance's description of Indian immigrants as "foreign indentured servants" after the U.S. Department of Labor suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several large Indian technology companies from the Permanent Labor Certification program. The step means those employers cannot apply for permanent residency for employees on H-1B visas. India's Ministry of External Affairs called Vance's language deeply offensive and said it ignored the role of Indian professionals in the U.S. economy and innovation. The ministry said existing H-1B visas and dependents' status would not be affected. Companies named in the suspension included Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant and Capgemini.