Times of India (May 11, 2012)
WASHINGTON: As India announced plans to take the issue of
"discriminatory" increase in US visa fees to the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), Washington assured it continued to fully support
the admission of qualified Indians.
The US and India "did have a good and thorough discussion" on the visa
issues in the context of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent
visit to India, State department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told
reporters Wednesday.
As Clinton said it publicly "Indians are the greatest beneficiaries in
the world of both our L-1 visa programme and our H-1B visa programme,"
she said when asked about India's reported move.
"We understand that the demand is even greater. We are working through
those issues. But we continue to fully support the admission of
qualified Indians under these programmes," Nuland said.
Under its Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act,
2010, US sharply hiked the fee for H-1B and L-1 visas used by Indian
and American companies to bring qualified professionals from abroad and
for intra-company transfers respectively.
Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya M.
Scindia told parliament Wednesday that New Delhi "proposes to seek
consultations with the US under the Dispute Settlement Understanding of
the WTO."
Asked if the visa fees hike issue was discussed during the Clinton
visit, Nuland said: "No."
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