JD Vance’s Words and the Question of Dignity

On 8 October 2026, Vance used this expression while accusing companies, particularly Microsoft, of replacing American workers through immigration programmes. The administration announced PERM suspensions affecting eight companies: Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini. PERM is a labour-certification step used in many employment-based Green Card applications.

Their education, work and contribution should never be reduced to a label carrying the weight of exploitation and colonial history.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs also rejected the terminology as deeply offensive. It clarified that the PERM suspension does not, by itself, invalidate existing H-1B visas or change the status of their holders and dependents, although affected employees’ permanent-residency processes could face consequences.

But my reaction has another layer. I reject the label. I remember the feeling of dependence.

A Good Career. Yet a Life With Conditions.

When I worked in the United States, I was on an L-1 visa, not an H-1B. I believed my route offered favourable prospects for a Green Card. Even then, I felt constrained.

My employment, my ability to make independent professional choices, and our family’s plans were connected to immigration conditions. At that time, my wife could not simply take up work or pursue a venture without the necessary work authorisation.

Nobody had to call me a second-class person. Nobody had to say anything directly. Yet I often felt that my freedom to shape my own life was conditional.

That sense of being an outsider also surfaced in my experiences in Singapore and elsewhere. This is my personal reflection; others may have experienced those places very differently.

That feeling became one of the reasons I chose to leave the USA.

Protect Workers. Protect Their Dignity Too.

Every country has the right to protect its workers and investigate genuine abuse. Fair wages, honest recruitment and lawful employment matter.

However, allegations must be examined through evidence. Microsoft disputed the replacement narrative, saying around 80% of its H-1B filings were for extensions or status changes involving existing employees. Nasscom said Indian technology companies had reduced their reliance on H-1B visas and relatively few of their workers used PERM.

There is also a troubling contradiction. Former USCIS adviser Doug Rand argued that blocking Green Card pathways could deepen the employer dependence the administration claims to oppose. Greater immigration security can give workers more freedom to change jobs and negotiate their future.

These measures are not formally an Indians-only restriction. But Indian professionals and their families have a substantial stake in the consequences.

I oppose rhetoric that diminishes them and policies that make their futures more uncertain without a fair, evidence-based process.

A company may assess the impact through its balance sheet. A family experiences it through postponed plans, interrupted careers and uncertainty about where it can build a home.

What Are We Actually Chasing?

As a Career & Growth Strategist, I believe this conversation should make us examine how we define success.

We often ask: Which country pays more? Which university has a better ranking? Which company offers the bigger package?

We should also ask:

• Can I change direction?
• Can my spouse build a career?
• What happens if I lose my job?
• Does this path support my wellbeing and family?
• Am I choosing it because it fits me, or because everyone calls it success?

A foreign opportunity can be excellent. It should still be a conscious choice.

My Indian Dream

Today, I am working to make my Indian Dream come true.

For me, that means building meaningful work here: helping students find direction, supporting professionals through career transitions, writing, mentoring and creating opportunities through Premit Brothers.

India has its own difficulties. Building here takes persistence, and returning does not automatically solve everything.

But I value the opportunity to create something rooted in my own purpose and sense of belonging.

An Indian Dream can take many forms: a rewarding profession, a business, research, sport, skilled work, creative expression or serving global clients from India.

We must also build the conditions that make those dreams viable: fair workplaces, credible education, opportunities and respect for different career paths.

To those thriving abroad, I respect your journey. To those considering a return, treat it as a serious strategic choice. To those building in India, give your ambition the same respect you would give an overseas opportunity.