Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who is currently in the United States to hold bilateral talks with the officials from the Donald Trump administration, said the matter of the H-1B visa was met with a “degree of understanding”, PTI reported. “We have certainly made our point quite forcefully both in the Congress and the Administration. We believe it has been met with a degree of understanding,” he said while addressing the media after his meeting with with United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday.
Jaishankar said the Trump administration seemed to have a “very positive view of India”. “We saw a lot of goodwill and a lot of interest in taking the relationship forward,” he said.
Addressing the media on Friday about the H-1B visas, which is a matter of great concern for ndia, Indian Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia said, “There is a recognition of the contribution of the Indian tech sector.” However, she said for the US, H-1B visa was “not a priority” as they were concerned with larger immigration issues. “Nevertheless when it is addressed, it will be part of the overall immigration package,” Teotia said.
“Every country would like to take steps that are in the best interest of their economy...If there is more robust growth in America..it can offer opportunities here,” Jaishankar said according to The Hindu.
The delegation, led by Jaishankar, met Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Homeland Secuity Secretary John Kelly and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday. The visiting Indian officials are believed to have conveyed that H-1B visa was a “category of trade and services” that will help the American economy.
During the meeting with the Indian delegation, the Trump administration also urged New Delhi to see the recent attack on Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas as an “act of an individual” and said they were at work to bring the perpetrator to justice.
Kuchibhotla was shot dead at a Kansas City bar on February 23 by a Navy veteran, Adam Puriton. His friend Alok Madasani and another American, Ian Grillot were also shot at by Puriton. Eyewitnesses at Austin’s Bar and Grill had heard Adam Puriton shout “Get out of my country” before he started shooting at the men, whom he had believed were Arabs.
Earlier this week, Jaishankar met United States Speaker Paul Ryan who condemned the incident in which an Indian engineer was shot dead in Kansas City on February 23. “Our people must continue to stand together,” Ryan had said.
On Friday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it was suspending the premium processing option for H-1B visas filed on or after April 3, 2017. The option allowed companies to bring in highly skilled workers in few weeks, rather than several months, if they paid an additional amount.
By delaying the processing, companies will be stuck with the uncertainty of whether a potential employee will be able to join or not. This poses particular problems for India, which sends the maximum number of H-1B workers to the states.
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