NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday said it will take up the issue of two US Senators' writing directly to the Indian IT companies on H1-B visa at the meeting of four key WTO members in Brussels tomorrow and discuss it separately with Washington.
"I will raise this issue with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab and in the G-4 meetings," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said in a statement from Brussels.
The Minister's comments came in response to a letter written by two members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee to some prominent Indian IT companies, seeking details about the utilisation of the special H1-B visa programme.
"I am surprised both with the form and content of the letter. Issues such as work visas are inter-governmental in nature and should be dealt with accordingly," Nath said.
He said while India continues to liberalise its services economy, it expects equal movement from important trading partners like the US in areas of its interest like movement of persons across borders to provide services.
"Unless we see forward movement in such areas, it will be difficult for India to enhance its commitments in the services negotiations," Nath warned.
