New Delhi: India on Wednesday said it has conveyed
its concerns to the US over the hike in fees for H1B and L
category visas and hopes for an "early resolution" of the
issue as the move was affecting Indian companies.
Terming it as a "serious issue", Minister of State for
Commerce Jyotiraditya Scindia assured the Rajya Sabha during
the Question Hour that the government has made efforts at
various levels to resolve the issue at the earliest.
"The visa fees applicable to H1B and L category visas have
been increased by the US under some legislative measures...
The matter has been taken up at various bilateral forums and
we are hopeful we will arrive at an early resolution," he
said.
Contending that the visa fee hike would affect both the
countries in the long run, the minister said movement of
Indian professionals is also important for the US as they
substantially contribute to its economy.
Replying to supplementaries, the minister said the two-way
flow of professionals was 45,000 each year.
He said Indian IT companies have also conveyed that they
are facing difficulties due to denial and delays in the issue
of visas.
The companies have also been impacted by the Ohio order, a
decision by the US state of Ohio to ban offshoring of
information technology projects, he added.
The visa issue was discussed by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh during the recent visit of US President Barack Obama to
India and by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna during his
interaction with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has also raised the issue
with his US counterpart.
PTI
