The Government of India continues to engage the US Administration for better access of its professionals in the US. H-1B & L-1 visa issues, including increase in visa processing fees, high rejection rates and other difficulties faced by the Indian services companies, have been raised with the US Government at various levels. India has also taken up the matter on US visa fee hike in the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. NirmalaSitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Work visa access: India raises H-1B and L-1 processing, rejection and fee concerns with US and at WTO. India engaged the US Administration over work visa access for Indian professionals, highlighting H-1B and L-1 processing problems, higher rejection rates and an increase in visa processing fees. The government also raised the visa fee increase in the World Trade Organisation's Dispute Settlement Body and made bilateral representations on operational difficulties faced by Indian services companies, as disclosed in a written parliamentary reply by the Commerce and Industry Minister.