India hopes for an amicable solution of visa issue with US
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India on Saturday expressed hope that the issue of visa fees hike by the US, likely to make Indian IT companies less competitive in the American market, would be resolved amicably.
"I think everybody (in India and the US) is looking for a reasonable way to have this matter resolved amicably," commerce secretary Rahul Khullar told reporters here.
He said that last week several Americans, including deputy us trade representative Michael Punke and Florida Senator George Lemieux, met him and discussed the issue.
"Nobody, wishes to have this (visa row) fostering as a wound specifically because there is a trade policy form meeting in less than two-weeks time from now and then there is President Barack Obama’s visit," he added.
Mr Obama is scheduled to visit India in November. Under its border security bill — the US has hiked the fee for certain categories of H-1B and L1 visas by at least $2,000 for the next five years.
The secretary said Lemieux would speak for India as "he has a better understanding of why we are distressed by the move. He will get that message conveyed to his colleagues in the Senate as well as the other policy makers in Washington."
The domestic software industry has raised concerns that the increase in fees will adversely impact companies of Indian origin, which account for about 12 per cent of the total number of visas issued by the US.
Khullar also said he discussed the ongoing WTO negotiations with the visiting Americans. He said Indian senior officials would be visiting WTO headquarter in Geneva in October. Chief agriculture negotiator of the US Isi Siddiqui also meet Khullar recently.
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