<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER  No. 2065 -- 10/20/2009 >>>>>

The EconomicTimes announced that India will ask for the yearly H-1B cap to
be raised. India seems hell bent on pushing for more H-1B visas, even
though the cap still hasn't been met for 2010. The last update given by the
UCIS as of 9/25/09 announced that 46,700 petitions towards the cap have
been accepted and all 20,000 for advanced degree exemptions.

At the time of this writing there seems to be nothing about this meeting in
the U.S. media or at the USTR website. The Indian press is a whole
different story -- you won't have any problem finding articles in their
media touting the meeting.

In order to get verification of this meeting outside of the Indian media I
resorted to using a Communist Chinese press release. The Chinese got their
jab at the end of the article by reminding us that the U.S. trade deficit
with India was 8 billion dollars in 2008, which seems like chump change
compared to our $268 billion deficit with China.

So, here is the news: U.S Trade Representative Ron Kirk will meet with
Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma for the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum
(TPF) meeting in India scheduled for Oct. 26. According to Wikipedia Kirk
is a NAFTA supporter, so it's probably fair to say that he will get a
receptive audience in India.


REFERENCE:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/vi
sa-power/India-to-ask-US-for-more-H-1B-visas/articleshow/5137427.cms
India to ask US for more H-1B visas

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90864/6783151.html
U.S. to strengthen trade relations with India

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f
6d1a/?vgnextoid=138b6138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=e
7d696cfcd6ff110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD
Cap Count for H-1B and H-2B Workers for Fiscal Year 2010

http://www.ustr.gov/
US Trade Representative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kirk
Ron Kirk

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/#I
U.S. Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Balance) by Country

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/vi
sa-power/India-to-ask-US-for-more-H-1B-visas/articleshow/5137427.cms

India to ask US for more H-1B visas
19 Oct 2009, 0316 hrs IST, Amiti Sen, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: India is likely to ask the United States to raise the cap on
visas for skilled workers at the bilateral trade forum meeting to be held
in New Delhi later this month, a government official told ET. India may
also push for a special mechanism for Indian professionals travelling to
the US for short-term assignments arising out of contractual obligations.

The issue of a more liberal and simple US visa regime for professionals
will be high on India’s agenda at the bilateral meeting to be chaired by
Indian commerce minister Anand Sharma and the US trade representative Ron
Kirk, the official said.

H-1B visas, which are non-immigrant US visas for skilled professionals,
given for up to six years, are highly popular with Indian IT companies such
as Infosys, Wipro, TCS and Satyam, which usually corner a big chunk of such
visas issued by the US. The subsidiaries of these companies in the US
usually employ H-1B visa professionals to deliver services at customer’s
location.

“The number of world-wide H-1B visas issued to professionals was reduced
by more than half to 65,000 per year about two years back. This has
affected the functioning of Indian companies in the US, especially ones in
the IT sector,” the official said. He added that India was keen on taking
up with the new US government the issue of a possible increase in the cap
on such visas. Although, this year, the entire quota of 65,000 H-1B visas
has not yet been utilised because of the on-going global economic slow
down, the official pointed out that it was a temporary phase and the demand
for US work visas would soar the moment the global economy began to look
up.

India is also likely to discuss with the US delegation the legislation
introduced by two US Senators seeking a restriction on the number of H-1B
visas that can be issued to a company so as to bring about a balance
between the number of foreigners and Americans employed by it.

This will again impact Indian IT companies in the US which mostly use
Indian software professionals to deliver services there.

Commerce and industry minister Mr Sharma has already raised these issues
with Mr Kirk in his recent visit to Washington DC. India has been raising
the issue of a more liberal visa regime and a higher number of work visas
also multilaterally at the World Trade Organisation.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90864/6783151.html

U.S. to strengthen trade relations with India
13:13, October 14, 2009     

The U.S. government is ready to strengthen bilateral trade relations with
India and make progress for the World Trade Organization's Doha round
agenda, U.S Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Tuesday.

Kirk and Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma met Tuesday in Washington to
discuss a range of issues for the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF)
meeting in India scheduled for Oct. 26.

"India is one of the largest and one of the most important trade partner
for the U.S.. In 2008, the total volume of goods and service being traded
between India and the U.S. totaled 41 billion dollars." Kirk said. "I know
that is an impressive number, we believe it can and should be higher."

"By improved market access to India, we can create new jobs here in
America," Kirk added.

The TPF is the main policy tool for the bilateral trade agenda, and the
United States and India are working together to create greater
opportunities for trade and investment.

Since Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the United States in
July 2005, during which a number of trade and economic initiatives were
announced, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has engaged
with India on trade and investment matters through a number of venues.

An interagency collaboration, the USTR-led TPF is the principal trade
dialogue between the United States and India. It has five Focus Groups:
Agriculture, Investment, Innovation & Creativity (intellectual property
rights), Services, and Tariff & Non-Tariff Barriers.

Besides bilateral trade relationship, Kirk and Sharma acknowledged the
productive Doha Round discussions that took place last week in Paris.

Kirk said the two sides have shared desire of commitment to make progress
of the Doha development agenda and will talk about cooperation to put the
WTO's Doha round talks on a more successful path to conclusion.

Latest data show that India was the United States' 17th largest goods
export market and the 18th largest supplier of goods imports in 2008.

The U.S. goods trade deficit with India was 8 billion dollars in 2008.

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