Visa fee hike under new Border Security Act makes sense: US

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Aug 14 (PTI) With the Indian IT firms terming
as discriminatory the new US Border Security Act, the Obama
Administration has said the measure, which proposes a steep
hike in some categories of H-1B and L-1 visa fees, "makes
sense" and would in no way undermine "robust and vital" ties
with India.
"I think the United States and India have a robust and
vital relationship, and nothing in this bill should interfere
with that," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told
reporters at the White House Friday night, shortly after
President Barack Obama signed the Border Security Bill into
law.
Napolitano said "it makes sense" to raise visa fee for
certain business to fund for the security of the US-Mexico
Bill, as by doing so there would be no financial burden on the
American economy.
"I think this administration has a very close
relationship with India, and we know and hope to sustain it as
such," the official said, referring to the statements made by
businesses in India and the US that the fee hike will
undermine growing economic relationship between the two
countries.
"The method of payment, which is an increased visa charge
for certain business-related visas, makes a lot of sense,
because what it's saying is that we're going to make sure that
we pay for immigration in this part of it, but we paid for it
out of the visa system. That way it doesn't come out of the
general fund, which is necessary for so many other things,"
she said.
The Senate was able to find a way to fund this bill that
did not add to the deficit and allowed the US to get the
enforcement money it needed on a permanent basis, Napolitano
said in response to a question.
Her comments follow the statement by India's software
industry body Nasscom, which insisted the US Border Security
Bill had logical flaws and was discriminatory in nature.
The Bill seeks to increase application fee for H-1B
and L-1 visas by at least USD 2,000 for the next five years.
As per Nasscom's estimates, Indian companies, mostly
IT, apply for 50,000 visas every year, including H-1B and L1
visas, besides renewal of old visas.
Similarly, top industry body CII also termed the US
move as "protectionist" that could be detrimental to the
economic interests of both countries.
Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, in a
communication to US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, had said
the visa fee hike was a discriminatory step that would hurt
the interest of Indian companies operating in the US. PTI