'Talent mobility adds value to both economies': India reacts to Vance's comments on H1B visa holders

India on Friday (Oct 9) hit back at US Vice President JD Vance for his comments on H1B visa holders. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said, "Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive".

"Such descriptions are unwarranted,' said the MEA further on Vance's "indentured labour" comments for H1B visa holders.

The statement further said, "It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.

The MEA statement highlighted that the visa does not only creates opportunities for Indians, "it equally helps US companies with cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness and job creation, besides creating shareholder wealth in the US."

The MEA also brought to light how "the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity."

“We have also seen some comments in this context by the US Vice President. 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. Indeed, the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity. Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” read the MEA statement.