PM Narendra Modi conveys India’s concerns on H1-B Visas to Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has been apprised of the concerns being faced by India on the H1-B visa reforms by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was the first conversation between the two leaders after Trump assumed office as the President of the US.

Official sources have informed that Trump was appraised of the concerns India faced on the H1-B visa reforms by Modi during the telephonic conversation between the two leaders. Trump has been reported to have said that India’s concerns will be given consideration, as quoted by The Indian Express.

The two leaders had discussed a range of issues including the economy, terrorism, defense and regional security as confirmed by the official sources.

It has also been informed by the sources that S Jaishankar, Indian Foreign secretary had visited New York twice during the period of transition to Trump administration and had raised the issue of H1-B visas. He had met the Vice-President-elect Mike Pence and the former speaker of US Congress Newt Gingrich, the current member of Trump’s panel of advisors.

The White House has issued a statement and said that during the telephonic conversation with Narendra Modi, Trump had stressed that India was considered as a true ally and associate of the US to address diverse issues facing the world. The two leaders discussed various issues such as defense and economy and on prospects to reinforce the ties between the two nations, read the statement of the White House.

The statement also added that trump had invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the US later this year.

Narendra Modi took to the social media and sent a tweet which read that he had shared a warm conversation with the US President Donald Trump and had invited him to visit India.

The issue of H1-B visas is of huge concern to the Indian government as well as the business fraternity and it has the potential of emerging as a point of disagreement with the US Government.

Vikas Swarup, Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry has said that both concerns and interests of India have been appraised to the US Congress and US administration at top levels. He said that as of now the situation is that only three private bills have been introduced and no executive order has been signed by the Trump in this regards.

Similar bills had been introduced in the past too and they must pass through the complete process of the US Congress. It is well known what was the fate of such private bills and hence it is very early to react on such bills, added Swarup.

Around 65 to 70 percent of the H1-B visas are allocated to India which is the largest beneficiary of the visas that are approved by the US globally. China is at the second place with 8 percent according to the

latest data from the US government. It is expected that Narendra Mod and Donald Trump will be discussing the issue at the meeting at the G-20 summit to be held in July at Germany.