New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday responded to the US Government's move to bar several Tech majors from its Green Card program.

The Ministry said that the suspension of the PERM applications does not affect H-1B visa holders.

"We are aware of the U.S. Department of Labour's decision concerning the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme for certain companies. It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected ...