Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has urged Indians working in the United States to return home and help build India after the US government suspended major Indian IT companies from the Permanent Labour Certification programme, known as PERM. The programme serves as a crucial initial phase in the employer-sponsored Green Card process.
The head of Zoho Corporation voiced apprehension regarding how the policy change will affect Indian professionals residing in the US on temporary work visas. In a message shared on social media, Vembu acknowledged the substantial role Indians have played in advancing America's technology sector and overall economy over recent decades, noting that a significant portion of the country seemingly no longer desires their presence.
Vembu pointed out the difficult situation facing visa holders who now confront the prospect of abandoning the lives they established through years of dedication and effort. He framed the situation as a potential turning point, encouraging professionals abroad to view the disruption as the beginning of a bold new future and inviting them to return and participate in India's ongoing development.
The recent US measures involve a freeze on certain Green Card applications affecting eight major businesses, alongside investigations into prominent universities, as part of an expanded immigration enforcement effort aimed at addressing perceived fraud and protecting domestic employment. Officials confirmed the suspension applies to several major technology and consulting firms, including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe, and Capgemini.
While the administrative action does not directly invalidate current H-1B temporary work visas, it effectively halts a primary mechanism through which employers sponsor foreign professionals for permanent residency. This crackdown represents a significant shift in skilled-worker immigration policy, impacting thousands of foreign tech personnel, a large proportion of whom are Indian nationals.