US always welcomes Indian talent, says MEA on new Visa move

New Delhi: India on Thursday gave its first reactions on the Trump administration decision on H 1B Visa and maintained while people-to-people linkages are vital, it is also true that the US has “always welcomed talent” and exuded hopes that Indian professionals will continue to be “welcomed” in that country.

“People-to-people linkages and trade and economic cooperation, especially in technology and innovation sectors, are an important dimension of the U.S.-India partnership. High-skilled Indian professionals bring important skill sets, bridge technological gaps …..The US has always welcomed talent and we hope our professionals will continue to be welcomed in the USA in the future,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava told reporters at a virtual weekly briefing.

Answering to a series of questions on the issue, he said: “We have seen the Proclamation issued by President Trump on June 22 temporarily suspending entry of certain categories of non-immigrant visa-holders and their family members till December 31, 2020”.

“This is likely to affect movement of Indian skilled professionals who avail of these non-immigrant visa programmes to work lawfully in the US. We are assessing the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry in consultation with stakeholders,” he said.

The new curbs could see an estimated 200,000 H-1B workers, many of them Indians, lose legal status in the United States.

It may be mentioned that President Trump’s order on Monday ‘temporarily suspending’ new work visas until the end of the calendar year has already strong reactions from the industry.

“In a statement, Trump said that the ban stems from the government’s “moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens.” But tech luminaries, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants themselves, disagreed, arguing that foreign workers are key to American prosperity,” said a report in Fortune.com.

It goes without stating that ‘declining jobs’ will force American companies to give these jobs to Americans first.

H1B visa was taken as a key charm of education and work for youngsters in the United States and Indians also clamoured for the post-study work visas that actually helped Indian students to find high-paying jobs.

Meanwhile, MEA spokesman Srivastava in the context of ongoing tension along the LAC between India and China said, two Foreign Ministers Dr S Jaishankar and Wang Yi had “a conversation” on June 17, 2020 and had agreed that the overall situation would be handled in a “responsible manner, and that the disengagement understanding of 6 June would be implemented”.

MEA spokesman asserted: “We expect that the Chinese side to sincerely follow up on this understanding and ensure the expeditious restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas” – but he also hastened to caution the obvious – that “A continuation of the current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere for the development of the relationship” (between two Asian neighbours)”.

He also said: “The incidents and face-offs along the LAC need to be understood in the larger context of recent developments. That also helps to bring out the key issues that both sides are seeking to address. At the heart of the matter is that since early May, the Chinese side has been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC”.

This, Mr Srivastava said, is not in accordance with the provisions of various bilateral agreements, “especially the key 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas”.

On the recent statement from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, MEA spokesman said: “Our position is consistent on this matter and has no ambiguity. OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. We have in the past also reiterated that the OIC should refrain from making unwarranted references on India”.