India to issue another warning to US on hike of professional visa fees

[OhioChick]

Source: Economic Times of India

21 Jun, 2011, 12.39AM IST, Amiti Sen,ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: India will issue yet another warning to the United States on the non-compatibility of the recent hike in professional visa fees and imposition of additional import taxes on government purchases with World Trade Organisation, or WTO, rules. Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma will take up the issue with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk later this week.

"We are seriously pursuing the issue with the US government as we feel that both the measures violate global trade rules. The minister will discuss the issue at length with the USTR," a commerce department official told ET. Sharma is scheduled to meet Kirk in Washington DC on Wednesday.

India had issued a non-paper or an informal communication to the US earlier this year stating that both the measures, that were part of the country's attempt to fund its enhanced border security plan and health programme for 9/11 victims, flouted multilateral trade norms of the WTO. The US, however, is yet to respond to the communication.

"The minister will try to drive home the point that we are not willing to let go of the issue as the measures have a significant negative impact on Indian business," the official said, adding that the commerce ministry is in consultation with WTO lawyers and is preparing the ground for filing a case if required.



Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/nri/visa-and-immigration/india-to-issue-another-warning-to-us-on-hike-of-professional-visa-fees/articleshow/8930770.cms

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"The US increased professional visa fees (H-1B and L-1 visa) by a minimum $ 2,000 for all US-based companies that have more than half of their employees on such visas till 2015. It would mostly affect Indian IT firms, like Infosys and Wipro , and is expected to cost them $200 million annually."

[Vincardog]

1. If they force us to import tech cheap labor: FUCK multilateral trade norms of the WTO.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. "Stop...or I will say 'Stop' again!"

further proof that we really should back out of the WTO.

[BadtotheboneBob]

11. LOL!

"Stop...or I will say 'Stop' again!"... Hoo ha, and I gotta remember THAT one! Thanks, CF. Into the file cabinet it goes...

[somone]

3. Fuck the WTO

[pampango]

10. Damn FDR and his multilateral, low-tariff trading idea (GATT > WTO)!

We need help from the Big Three - Hoover, Smoot and Hawley. FDR may not have liked them, but there were three republicans who knew how to keep foreigners (and the stuff they make) in their place.

Foreigners shouldn't be telling AMERICANS what we can and can't do! Doesn't matter whether it's with regard to trade (**** the WTO), climate change (nobody tells us what to do to our industries), politics (*** the UN), military matters (Bush didn't need permissionto go into Iraq or Afghanistan), international law (**** the ICC), travel and immigration (we can't all be Europeans) or anything else. We need to make and enforce our own rules, change them whenever we want, and TO HELL with the rest of the world. We are different (if not exceptional)!

The middle class in European, Canada and elsewhere may thrive under WTO rules, but those rules are unfair to us because they were formulated and are enforced multilaterally (at least partially by foreigners). Let the rest of the world get together and mutually agree on trading rules and enforcement mechanisms or climate change rules and mechanisms or international law and procedures, etc.

[No Elephants]

16. Because things in 2011 are all exactly as they were in FDR's day.

[SoapBox]

4. Hey India...here's my response...

*finger*

[emilyg]

6. I like.

[cascadiance]

5. It's high time that we get out of NAFTA treaty NOW!

Tell them that we won't be back at the table until we have a *fair* trade treaty, NOT a "free trade" treaty for the world's oligarchs!

And add to that we should shut down H-1B Visas for the year, and pull back the quota to where it SHOULD be, not where its at now that is more to get cheap labor than just to get the miniscule amount of foreign workers that do work that Americans can't (languages, etc.).

[Dept of Beer]

7. I believe that you have excellent points.

I also believe that if this were to happen you would see more jobs leave the USA for India via those well meaning businesses. If what you mentioned above was a reality then US-based jobs would have to be protected from disappearing to places overseas.

[boppers]

15. NAFTA?

India is part of North America now?

[No Elephants]

17. American Indians.

[boppers]

19. Do they fill out visa fees?

What's the internet rule about not being able to discern sarcasm from madness?

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Why would they want their workers here? They get exploited. Better to keep them at home in their own

IT companies.

[ChromeFoundry]

12. Simple...

Because $30-billion, 3% of India's GDP is from remittances being sent back "home" from guest workers here on visa.

India's IT industry generates $70-billion, 7% of their GDP. The Indian IT sector is now entering a slump where they have more workers than available jobs. Their BPO industry is now treading on shaky ground because the climate is unsustainable. India needs to keep the H-1b, L-1, B-1 channels open, as well as play the "protectionism-card" via the WTO in order to lessen the erosion of 10% of their GDP.

Source:
http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/mar/07bpo-worries-grow-about-obamas-outsourcing-policies.htm

[Lasher]

14. Simple and informative.

Thanks.

[Odin2005]

9. The WTO can east shit and die.

[xchrom]

13. From your lips to god's ears. Nt

[No Elephants]

18. Wow. Costing all those companies collectively a total of a whole $200 million.

I'll try to disguise how unimpressed I am.