India takes up H-1B visa issue with US after Trump’s executive order
Team Udayavani, Apr 21, 2017, 9:10 AM IST
Washington: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has “strongly raised” the H-1B visa issue with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, highlighting the important role played by highly skilled Indian professionals in America, officials said.
During the meeting here — the first cabinet-level interaction between the two countries under the Trump administration — Ross is believed to have said that US has started the process of reviewing H1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on it yet, sources said.
Taking up the case of Indian IT companies and professionals, Mr Jaitley told Ross about the contribution of highly skilled Indians in the economic development of the United States and India and stressed that they should continue to do so, which is in the best interest of the two countries, an Indian official said.
Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration’s objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly skilled professionals.
The executive order signed by Trump early this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice.
Mr Jaitley, leading an Indian delegation, arrived in Washington DC yesterday morning to attend the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Over the next two days, the Finance Minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the US, Australia, France, Indonesia and Sweden. He is also likely to meet finance ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Stressing that India-US relationship has bipartisan support in both the countries, the Finance Minister in his meeting with the commerce secretary said the two largest democratic countries of the world over the years have developed z strong strategic, economic and defence relationship.
The three phone conversations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have had, along with the officials meeting, has shown that the two governments are going to build on this momentum in the years to come, the official said.
Briefing Ross on India’s growth story, Mr Jaitley is believed to have given him an insight into a series of “far reaching reforms” being undertaken by the PM Modi government post-demonetisation including the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Mr Jaitley said the two countries should be able to move towards achieving the goal of $500 billion per annum in bilateral trade in the next few years.
In addition to his meetings and presentations at the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, the Union minister is also scheduled to attend meetings of other multilateral forums including that of the G-20 finance ministers.
Before leaving Washington DC for New York on Sunday, he is expected to interact with think-tanks and eminent Indian-Americans.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Trump will attend the wake of a slain NYPD officer as he goes after Biden over crime
UN secy-general appoints top NDMA official as special representative for disaster risk reduction
Jaishankar meets Malaysian counterpart, discusses ‘multifaceted’ bilateral ties
Baltimore bridge collapse: Entire crew of container ship ‘Indian’
Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge, bringing it down. Rescuers are looking for people in water
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Rs 20.14 cr unaccounted cash seized in poll run up in Karnataka
HC grants bail to man held for sexually assaulting ‘friend’ at Mumbai beach in 2021
Congress’s Kolar conundrum remains unsolved despite CM, DCM attempt to quell dissent
Mangaluru: Illegal slaughterhouse raided by police, Three arrested
‘No evidence of wrongdoing’: CBI closes UPA-era Air India aircraft leasing