BackJaishankar to visit US this week, discuss concerns over H-1B visas, safety of Indians
Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar is likely to discuss key bilateral issues including India's concerns over a possible clamp down on H1B visas and safety of Indians
Premium
New Delhi: Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar will leave for the US on a four-day visit this week, aimed at sensitising the Trump administration over India’s concerns over a possible cut in H1B and L1 visas used extensively by Indian IT professionals.
A person familiar with the developments said Jaishankar would also be discussing the possibility of cuts in the number of “green cards" issued to foreign nationals—a significant number of which are cornered by Indian nationals.
Jaishankar’s visit beginning Tuesday comes days after an Indian software engineer was shot dead and another Indian injured in Kansas in what is seen as a hate crime. It wasn’t immediately clear who Jaishankar was expected to meet during his visit given that many positions in the US State Department are yet to be filled.
This is Jaishankar’s second visit to the US since the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president. He had visited the US within days of Trump being named the president-designate in a bid to forge contacts with senior figures within the Trump camp.
Since assuming office, Trump has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by phone, inviting him to the US. Both sides were examining the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Trump and Modi in May or June. If that does not happen, the two are likely to meet face to face at the G20 meeting in Hamburg in July.
US defence secretary James Mattis has also spoken to his Indian counterpart, defence minister Manohar Parrikar and secretary of state Rex Tillerson has spoken to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
At an interaction at the Gateway House think tank in Mumbai earlier this month, Jaishankar gave an insight into India’s thinking about the new Trump administration. A US that looks at the world differently and tries to create new terms of engagement could offer India new opportunities unafforded by a more orthodox US, Jaishankar had said.
He also said it was important not to “demonize Trump" but to “analyze Trump."
If India were to convince the US that outsourcing—one of the thorny issues threatening to cast a shadow over India-US relations under the new administration—helped the US become more competitive, it would present India with elbow room to do business with the new administration, he said.
Ties between India and the US have warmed substantially since 2000, with four US presidential visits in the past 17 years. India is hoping that the momentum of the India-US relationship does not slacken under Trump administration given that New Delhi looks at the US as a major strategic partner and important source of foreign direct investment and technology.
India also sees a muscular Trump administration approach to Asian giant China—seen as India’s strategic and economic rival—as well as a zero tolerance approach to terrorism as beneficial to India.
However, New Delhi is warily watching the Trump administration’s steps towards on Iran whom India considers a key energy partner in the Gulf region, and important for improving connectivity to landlocked Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.
Safety of Indian nationals in the US is also expected to figure high on Jaishankar’s agenda given last week’s killing of the Indian engineer in the US.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
