H1B, Indians’ safety likely on Foreign Secretary agenda

According to officials here, Jaishankar will also be holding talks on regional and international issues of mutual interest with senior members of the Donald Trump administration during his four-day visit. Jaishankar is expected to take up the curbs on H1B visas that were announced by Donald Trump soon after taking charge as the president. The announcement caused ripples back home in India due to the dependence of the Indian IT sector on the American market. Maintaining that the government was engaged with the Trump administration as well as members of the US Congress on concerns regarding the H1B visa issue, they said India’s view that Indian IT companies were contributing to the American economy by increasing the competitiveness of their firms will be conveyed by the foreign secretary during his meetings.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. 

During the visit, which will be taking place barely days after killing of an Indian engineer in a crowded bar in Kansas City in an apparent hate crime incident, the issue of safety of Indian nationals is also expected to figure during the discussions between the two sides.