US green-card freeze at 8 IT firms: Sridhar Vembu urges Indian techies to return, Dharmendra Pradhan backs appeal

Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu has urged Indian technology professionals in the United States to return home and help build India's technology sector, with former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan backing his appeal amid uncertainty over green-card sponsorships at eight technology companies.

In a post on X, Vembu highlighted the contribution of Indians to America's technological development but said a section of the country no longer wanted them.

“Indians have made a major contribution to America's technological prowess. Yet, a big part of America no longer wants us,” Vembu wrote.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The eight companies are TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. The US Labour Department linked the suspensions to multiple ongoing federal investigations.

The US Labour Department will not accept new or process pending PERM-based labour certification applications involving the suspended companies. PERM is a step employers generally need before sponsoring eligible foreign workers for employment-based permanent residency.

No. The suspension does not automatically stop H-1B applications under existing rules or mean employees lose existing H-1B visas or green cards.

An employer generally advertises the job, considers applicants and documents why qualified US workers were not selected. If the Department of Labor approves the certification, the employer can then file an immigration petition with USCIS.

Vembu said Indian professionals had contributed significantly to US technology but some faced uncertainty about their future there. He urged them to return and help build India’s technology sector, an appeal Dharmendra Pradhan endorsed.

He also pointed to the difficulties faced by Indian professionals who have built their lives in the US and may now have to reconsider their future.

“Indians who are on a visa in the US face the painful prospect of uprooting the life you have built with hard work,” he said.

Urging Indian professionals to contribute to the country's growth, Vembu added, “Let this be the birth pains of a bold new future. Come back, let's build India.”

Pradhan, responding to Vembu's post, agreed with the Zoho co-founder's appeal and stressed the importance of strengthening India's domestic technology capabilities.

“I agree with you, @SVembu Ji,” Pradhan wrote on X.

“Indian talent has made significant contributions to the advancement of technology across the world. Every challenge presents an opportunity to build on this strength, deepen our capabilities and foster greater innovation at home,” he said.

“With confidence in our talent and a commitment to building indigenous capabilities, we can help shape the future of technology,” Pradhan added.

US bars IT majors from Green Card programme

The remarks followed US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling's announcement on Thursday that eight technology companies had been suspended from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme (PERM).

The list includes Indian IT services companies Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech, as well as Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe.

According to the US Labour Department, the suspensions are linked to multiple ongoing federal investigations.

The decision halts new and pending PERM-based green-card sponsorship applications at the affected companies. PERM is a labour certification process that employers generally must complete before sponsoring eligible foreign employees for employment-based permanent residency in the US.

The development has raised concerns among employees pursuing permanent residency and companies making long-term workforce plans.

The move comes as the US H-1B visa programme, which enables employers to recruit eligible foreign workers for specialised occupations, faces increased scrutiny.

The US vice president has also slammed the programme, saying it was designed to bring highly skilled foreign professionals into the country for roles that American workers could not fill.

“Unfortunately, the program has become rife with fraud,” he said.

However, the suspension of PERM processing does not automatically stop H-1B visa applications under the programme's existing rules.

Vembu's appeal, which Pradhan has endorsed, has renewed focus on India's potential to attract experienced technology professionals and strengthen domestic innovation as some Indian workers face uncertainty about their long-term future in the US.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X