India Raises H-1B Visa Issue With The US “Very Strongly”: Suresh Prabhu

India has “very strongly” raised the issue of H-1B and L1 visas with the United States (US), Union Minister Suresh Prabhu said today (28 October), asserting that the American economy will find it difficult to cope with the reality as Indian Information and Technology (IT) professionals have benefited it immensely.

The US has tightened the norms for issuing the most sought-after H-1B and L1 visas. In a new directive, the Trump administration this week made it more difficult for the renewal of H-1B and L1 visas, saying the burden of proof lies on the applicant even when an extension is sought.

Under the current US rules, Indian IT professionals working in the US on H-1B visas do not get back their hard-earned contribution to Social Security, which runs into at least more than $1 billion per annum.

“We raised the issue of Indian professionals and H-1B and L1 visa issues very strongly,” Prabhu said after the first US-India bilateral Trade Policy Forum (TPF) under the Trump administration, which was also attended by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“We explained to them that we are not raising this issue because Indians will find it difficult to come, but US economy itself will find it difficult to cope with the reality since the US has immensely benefited by IT professionals penetrating into the market by offering services that have improved their productivity,” Prabhu said.

Batting for Indian IT companies, he also strongly raised the issue of totalisation.

“I hope they will look into the issue,” Prabhu said, as he pointed to the issue of mismatch between US visa and US social security regimes, wherein Indian professionals making social security contributions do not receive their due benefits upon their return to India.

Meanwhile, the US and India have also agreed to address the issue of trade deficit by increasing and diversifying bilateral trade, the minister said, as he sought to ease the procedures for the export of mangoes and pomegranates to the US.

Taking note of America’s concern on price controls on medical devices, Prabhu, during his meetings with Lighthizer on Thursday (26 October), encouraged US companies to take benefit of the “Make in India” policy and establish manufacturing facilities in India, which would considerably bring down the cost.

Reducing imports from India is not an option, Ross was quoted as saying by Prabhu.

“The Commerce Secretary clearly said that trade deficit is an issue, but not by reducing imports from India but promoting more exports from the US to India which is absolutely a very positive and an extremely forward-looking idea, which we welcome,” Prabhu told reporters at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Washington, DC.

In the next few years, India would be able to buy more from the US.

India has started buying crude oil from the US, he said, adding that there is great potential for the US in the fast-expanding aviation market in India.

“We already have made some substantial progress,” he said.

India has also sought cooperation from the US in certain technology sectors like artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and aviation. While recognising the reforms that India has undertaken to simplify tax and bankruptcy procedures for the industry, he indicated that greater effort in this direction would ensure a more meaningful and balanced trade relationship. (PTI)