US reassures India that tighter visa rules are ‘not targeted at Indian professionals’

During his second official visit to New Delhi this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to calm nerves in India’s IT and start-up community over a spate of recent immigration crack-downs in Washington. In an interview with Indian media, Rubio acknowledged that several US agencies had tightened compliance checks—most visibly through the October 8 suspension of PERM labour-certification filings for eight global tech firms—but stressed that the measures were aimed at “20 years of neglect in the US system” rather than at India. Rubio’s remarks come at a delicate moment. Indians account for more than 70 per cent of new H-1B approvals and roughly one-third of all pending employment-based green-card queues. Since the PERM suspension covers companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys and Wipro—major recruiters of Indian talent—Indian executives feared a de-facto freeze on future US assignments. Rubio insisted that existing visas remain valid and that the action is temporary while systemic abuses are reviewed. Beyond immigration, Rubio confirmed that the long-negotiated India-US trade deal is “weeks, not months” away from signature, with 99 per cent of text closed. Trade negotiators see a quick agreement as key to insulating mobility corridors—especially a proposed skills-mobility chapter—against election-year protectionism in both countries. For multinational employers, the message is two-fold: short-term visa unpredictability will persist, but Washington has no intention of shutting out Indian talent. Companies should, however, diversify assignment pipelines and prepare for additional documentary checks while PERM audits are under way. Indian assignees already in the US are advised to maintain immaculate payroll and LCA records; those awaiting green-card sponsorship may see adjudications slow until the suspended employers are cleared. Meanwhile, HR teams should start mapping talent flows to Canada and Mexico as contingencies, while lobbying through industry bodies for a swift reinstatement of PERM processing. In the bigger picture, Rubio’s remarks signal that geopolitical alignment with India remains a US priority, and that mobility irritants are likely to be resolved in parallel with the broader trade package—offering a potential win-win for both Silicon Valley and India’s tech workforce.