The discrimination against Indian software firms that assign employees to the United States on short-term agreements is the reason why India is anticipated to promptly seek consultations with the United States under the shelter of the WTO or World Trade Organization on the visa fee increase for professionals.
A senior official said that even though the commerce ministry had privately begun the process last April, gathering all the relevant data and information to produce a tough case in the World Trade Organization is taking time. He added that they are putting all the evidences all at once, but now they have settled the case.
The official said that they are hoping that by the end of October, they will legally file the complaint and look for some consultations over World Trade Organization. The United States’ visa fee increase is an unfair action for Indian information technology companies. Under the Border Security Act to reserve its elevated costs of securing borders with Mexico, the United States had increased its visa fee in 2010.
Across the measure at different forums, India has been complaining. The Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010, is an American law that has essentially raised the fees for L-1 and H-1B categories of visas for applicants that utilize over 50 staff in the United States or have more than 50 percent of the staff granted the non-immigrant visas named the 50/50 rule. According to Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry that it is obviously discriminatory actions for Indian firms.
The L1 visa fee has been raised to US$ 2,700 each visa application while US$ 2,000 per visa application for H1B, based on the industry experts. For Indian software exports, the United States is their largest market but due to the United States move to visa fee increased some of the major Indian firms were being affected like Mahindra Satyam, Wipro, TCS and Infosys.
Consultation is the first level of an accusation filed with the global trade body as per the process of the World Trade Organization. Without proceeding further, consultations allow both parties the opportunity to deliberate the issue and to seek a sufficient solution. The complainant may ask judgement by a panel if the consultations miss to resolve the argument after 60 days.
At the same time, Washington and New Delhi have also finished consultations regarding with other issues in World Trade Organizations that involve steel and avain influenza. India had opposed the United States with unjustly required countervailing responsibilities, a nature of prohibited duty on assertive hot-rolled carbon steel flat products coming from India on April. An official said that they have requested for creating a panel over the World Trade Organization’s discord settlement interventions on the steel issues.
REFERENCES:
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/international-business/article-india-to-move-world-trade-body-over-us-visa-fee-hike-311197?pfrom=home-otherstories
http://www.bipartisanreport.com/post/464554-US-visa-fee-hike:-India-all-set-to-move-world-trade-body
http://www.indiaeveryday.in/finance/news-us-visa-fee-hike-india-all-set-to-move-world-trade-body-1027-4457889.htm
http://www.i4u.com/2012/09/world-trade-organization/oct-wto-hike-against-fee-move-us-end-visa-india
