The Department of Labor has suspended PERM processing for some of the biggest recruiters of global talent, including Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, Cognizant, Capgemini, Wipro, HCL and Tata. The Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) is a key step employers must complete to sponsor many foreign workers for employment-based green cards. The move has raised concerns among thousands of tech workers. While the suspension does not affect existing H-1B visas, it could delay or disrupt one of the main pathways to permanent residency in the United States.
Amid the uncertainty, Indian entrepreneur Anupam Mittal, a Shark Tank India judge, has reflected on his decision to surrender his green card in a LinkedIn post.
Mittal said that, like many ambitious young Indians, he once dreamed of building a life in America. He said he achieved that goal through a strong education, a successful career and financial success, becoming a multimillionaire within a few years.
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“Within four years, I was a multimillionaire living the American dream. Then came the Green Card. I was ecstatic. But somehow the feeling was fleeting,” he wrote.
Despite receiving permanent residency, Mittal decided to return to India in 2004 to build companies. However, he continued traveling to the United States every year to maintain his residency status, while struggling with whether to hold on to his green card.
Mittal recalled visiting the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai to surrender the document. The consular officer was surprised by his decision and urged him to reconsider.
“The officer looked at me like I was crazy. ‘Think about this. Once you give it up, you may never get it back’,” Mittal wrote.
He said he left the office with the green card still in his pocket. He returned a year later and completed the process.
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“This time, I handed it over. And I walked out feeling lighter than I had in years. For the first time, both my feet were on the same side,” he said.
Mittal said that had he remained in the United States, he might have become a wealthy technology executive. Instead, returning to India allowed him to build companies, invest in more than 300 startups and become part of the country’s growing startup ecosystem.
“Which is why I look at the H-1B and Green Card turmoil in America differently. For decades, success meant a life in the USA. That story is finally breaking. And I think that is a very good thing. The time is here to build global tech & brand companies from India. Sometimes a closing door is what makes you realize where home is,” Mittal said.