New Delhi: The US has not made any ‘comprehensive changes’ in its work visa programs, including H-1B visas, so far despite India taking up the issue with the American government from time to time, Parliament was informed on July 17.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the problems being faced by the IT industry have been raised by India with the US government from time to time at various levels.
India has also taken up the matter on US visa fee hike in the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organization (WTO), she said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
“The US has not made any comprehensive changes to the work visa programs including H-1B visas so far,” she said.
The minister also said India has made continuous efforts to raise concerns pertaining to IT and ITeS industries in different bilateral meetings including in the Trade Policy Forum.
Indian IT industry has raised concerns over the proposed changes in the US visa regime. Any changes may result in higher operational costs and shortage of skilled workers for the $110 billion Indian outsourcing industry.
Indian IT sector, which contributes 9.3 percent to the country’s GDP, is one of the largest private sector employers at 3.7 million people.
The US contributes nearly 62 percent of the exports, while EU is the second largest market for Indian IT services exporters contributing approximately 28 percent.
India Tribune, as an English weekly newspaper, was launched in 1977 in Chicago by its publisher Prashant Shah with a lofty ideal to serve the Asian Indian community in the USA. Over the years, it has grown with all vigor, and now it is being published in three editions – Chicago, New York and Atlanta. India Tribune, a journal of its kind for the family in the USA, has been a household name for many Indians for over three decades with each issue commanding a readership of over 125,000.
