India to ask US for more H-1B visas

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 3:35 AM

<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 2065 -- 10/20/2009 >>>>>

The EconomicTimes announced that India will ask for the yearly H-1B cap to be
raised. India seems hell bent on pushing for more H-1B visas, even though the
cap still hasn't been met for 2010. The last update given by the UCIS as of
9/25/09 announced that 46,700 petitions towards the cap have been accepted and
all 20,000 for advanced degree exemptions.

At the time of this writing there seems to be nothing about this meeting in
the U.S. media or at the USTR website. The Indian press is a whole different
story -- you won't have any problem finding articles in their media touting
the meeting.

In order to get verification of this meeting outside of the Indian media I
resorted to using a Communist Chinese press release. The Chinese got their jab
at the end of the article by reminding us that the U.S. trade deficit with
India was 8 billion dollars in 2008, which seems like chump change compared to
our $268 billion deficit with China.

So, here is the news: U.S Trade Representative Ron Kirk will meet with Indian
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma for the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum
(TPF) meeting in India scheduled for Oct. 26. According to Wikipedia Kirk is a
NAFTA supporter, so it's probably fair to say that he will get a receptive
audience in India.

REFERENCE:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/visa-power/India-to-ask-US-for-more-H-1B-visas/articleshow/5137427.cms
India to ask US for more H-1B visas

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90864/6783151.html
U.S. to strengthen trade relations with India

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=138b6138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=e
7d696cfcd6ff110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD
Cap Count for H-1B and H-2B Workers for Fiscal Year 2010

http://www.ustr.gov/
US Trade Representative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kirk
Ron Kirk

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/#I
U.S. Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Balance) by Country

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/visa-power/India-to-ask-US-for-more-H-1B-visas/articleshow/5137427.cms

India to ask US for more H-1B visas
19 Oct 2009, 0316 hrs IST, Amiti Sen, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: India is likely to
ask the United States to raise the cap on visas for skilled workers at the
bilateral trade forum meeting to be held in New Delhi later this month, a
government official told ET. India may also push for a special mechanism for
Indian professionals travelling to the US for short-term assignments arising
out of contractual obligations.

The issue of a more liberal and simple US visa regime for professionals will
be high on India s agenda at the bilateral meeting to be chaired by Indian
commerce minister Anand Sharma and the US trade representative Ron Kirk, the
official said.

H-1B visas, which are non-immigrant US visas for skilled professionals, given
for up to six years, are highly popular with Indian IT companies such as
Infosys, Wipro, TCS and Satyam, which usually corner a big chunk of such visas
issued by the US. The subsidiaries of these companies in the US usually employ
H-1B visa professionals to deliver services at customer s location.

The number of world-wide H-1B visas issued to professionals was reduced by

more than half to 65,000 per year about two years back. This has affected the
functioning of Indian companies in the US, especially ones in the IT sector,
the official said. He added that India was keen on taking up with the new US
government the issue of a possible increase in the cap on such visas.
Although, this year, the entire quota of 65,000 H-1B visas has not yet been
utilised because of the on-going global economic slow down, the official
pointed out that it was a temporary phase and the demand for US work visas
would soar the moment the global economy began to look up.

India is also likely to discuss with the US delegation the legislation
introduced by two US Senators seeking a restriction on the number of H-1B
visas that can be issued to a company so as to bring about a balance between
the number of foreigners and Americans employed by it.

This will again impact Indian IT companies in the US which mostly use Indian
software professionals to deliver services there.

Commerce and industry minister Mr Sharma has already raised these issues with
Mr Kirk in his recent visit to Washington DC. India has been raising the issue
of a more liberal visa regime and a higher number of work visas also
multilaterally at the World Trade Organisation.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90864/6783151.html

U.S. to strengthen trade relations with India
13:13, October 14, 2009

The U.S. government is ready to strengthen bilateral trade relations with
India and make progress for the World Trade Organization's Doha round agenda,
U.S Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Tuesday.

Kirk and Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma met Tuesday in Washington to
discuss a range of issues for the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting
in India scheduled for Oct. 26.

"India is one of the largest and one of the most important trade partner for
the U.S.. In 2008, the total volume of goods and service being traded between
India and the U.S. totaled 41 billion dollars." Kirk said. "I know that is an
impressive number, we believe it can and should be higher."

"By improved market access to India, we can create new jobs here in America,"
Kirk added.

The TPF is the main policy tool for the bilateral trade agenda, and the United
States and India are working together to create greater opportunities for
trade and investment.

Since Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the United States in
July 2005, during which a number of trade and economic initiatives were
announced, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has engaged with
India on trade and investment matters through a number of venues.

An interagency collaboration, the USTR-led TPF is the principal trade dialogue
between the United States and India. It has five Focus Groups:
Agriculture, Investment, Innovation & Creativity (intellectual property
rights), Services, and Tariff & Non-Tariff Barriers.

Besides bilateral trade relationship, Kirk and Sharma acknowledged the
productive Doha Round discussions that took place last week in Paris.

Kirk said the two sides have shared desire of commitment to make progress of
the Doha development agenda and will talk about cooperation to put the WTO's
Doha round talks on a more successful path to conclusion.

Latest data show that India was the United States' 17th largest goods export
market and the 18th largest supplier of goods imports in 2008.

The U.S. goods trade deficit with India was 8 billion dollars in 2008.

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