America no longer wants us, come back: Sridhar Vembu urges Indian techies after US Green Card freeze

The US government has suspended major Indian IT companies, including TCS, and Wipro, from the Permanent Labour Certification programme, or PERM, a key step in the employer-sponsored Green Card process. Following the suspension, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has urged Indians who are working in the US to come back and build India.Vembu shared a post on X, highlighting the economic and technological impact Indians have made in the US over the past decades. “Indians have made a major contribution to America's technological prowess,” he wrote. “Yet, a big part of America no longer wants us."Sridhar Vembu expressed concerns over the impact the ruling could have on Indians working on a visa in the US. “Indians who are on a visa in the US face the painful prospect of uprooting the life you have built with hard work,” the Zoho founder added. Vembu insisted that this may be the right time for those working in the US to return to India. “Let this be the birth pains of a bold new future,” he said, “Come back, let's build India.” Sridhar Vembu wrote on X. What is the Green Card freeze?The Zoho founder’s remarks come after the US Department of Labour suspended Indian IT companies – Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL – along with other firms – Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe – from PERM. Under the programme, employers must show that there are no qualified, willing and available US workers for a specific job, and that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed American workers. The Labour Department alleges that these companies abused the PERM system for foreign workers seeking permanent residency. US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said, "We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certifications involving these companies." The Labour Department's action blocks the affected companies from filing new PERM applications and puts pending applications on hold for as long as the suspension remains in effect. It does not automatically cancel H-1B visas or stop these companies from employing H-1B workers. This is not the first time Sridhar Vembu has urged Indians to come back from the US. In May this year, the Zoho founder commented on a new rule for the Green Card process that requires applicants to go back to their home country and file the application, instead of staying in the US during the process. “Once again, my appeal to Indians in America on a visa. Please come home.” he said at the time. “Even if you feel it is hardship and sacrifice, self-respect should dictate your course. Let's make Bharat proud.”- Ends