US has told us no major change in H1B regime: govt

New Delhi: Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman interacts with the media on budget proposals pertaining to the her ministry in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo by Kamal Singh (PTI2_6_2017_000164A)

The US has conveyed to India there is no significant change in the H1B visa regime, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha. “I am glad to say that as regards the H1B visa for 2018, the US government has already notified their position and there is not any significant change from the existing regime,” Sitharaman said in response to questions from Ravindra Gaikwad and Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena), Prahlad Joshi (BJP) and Arpita Ghosh (TMC).

“So, the fear that all of us were seeing through the media here about the H1B visa has, at least for the year 2018, not proven correct. “Also, the US administration has very clearly said they shall be dealing with illegal immigration and the H1B visa-related matter will be nuanced, but the priority at the moment seems to deal with the illegal immigration.”

She said a number of organisations had expressed their concern and these had been conveyed to the US authorities. She said the US monitored policies of 73 countries and India may be one of them. However, she said, “no unilateral policing is acceptable for India”.