Amid serious concerns in India over the Donald Trump administration’s proposal to impose curbs on H-1B visas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the United States to develop a balanced outlook towards the movement of skilled professionals.
Welcoming a bipartisan 26-member US Congressional delegation here, Modi on Tuesday underlined the contribution of Indian talent to the US economy and society. He said the US should develop a reflective, balanced and farsighted perspective on movement of skilled professionals.
The PM shared his perspective on areas where both countries could work even more closely, including in facilitating greater people-to-people linkages that have over the years helped in contributing to each other's prosperity, a PMO statement said.
India, in January, had expressed its concern over a bill to change rules on H-1B visas that will impact the IT industry and Indian techies working in the US.
The High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017, introduced in the House of Representatives by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren, calls for doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to 130,000 dollars from the current minimum of 60,000 dollars ~ a move that could affect Indian techies. At present, the US issues nearly 65000 H-1B visas every year and Indians are the biggest beneficiaries.
Calling the visit a good start to bilateral exchanges following the inauguration of Trump, Modi recalled his "positive conversation’’ with the American President and the shared commitment to further strengthening of ties that have grown deeper in the last two-and-a-half years.
In this regard, he recognised Congress's strong bipartisan support for the India-US partnership.