New Delhi: After the US administration under Trump proposed changes to the programme, India is consistently engaging with US over the issue of H-1B visa, which is largely utilized by IT companies of India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said today.

“It is a very important topic for us and that is the reason why we have time and again at various levels we have taken up this matter with the US side,” Mr Raveesh Kumar said.

According to Mr. Kumar, the issue was brought to the notice of US officials during the first ever India-US 2+2 Ministerial Meeting organized in New Delhi last month. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj from Indian side and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from US side.

Mr. Kumar said that there are certain bills that have been recently introduced and said that “it is important to note that none of these bills have been passed so far”.

“When we have engaged with the US, we have emphasised that our partnership which we have in the digital sphere have been mutually beneficial,” the spokesperson said.

“We have highlighted the role which has been played by the highly skilled Indian professionals who have actually contributed to the growth and development of the US economy,” he added. “And also they have helped the US to maintain a competitive edge in the world towards innovation and science and technology.”

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that a new proposal by January 2019 will be introduced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

There is also a proposal to eliminate certain H-4 spouses of H-1B non-immigrants from its regulations as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorization, the DHS said.

The move to bring an end to the rule could result in impacting over 70,000 H-4 visa holders, who posses work permits with them.

USCIS issues H-4 visas to the H-1B visa holder’s immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years.

A proposal will be made to revise the definition of specialty occupation by the DHS to increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest foreign nationals through the H-1B programme.

The DHS also said that it will also “revise the definition” of employment and employer-employee relationship in order to protect US workers and wages in a better way.

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