PM Modi & Trump discussed spirit of H1B Visa without using the word, says Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: External Affairs Minsiter Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi had a deatiled conversation with US President Donald Trump on the spirit of H1B visa.

Countering Opposition's charge that PM Modi didn't raised the contentious H-1B visa issue with Trump during his recent US trip, Swaraj said “Without using the word H1B visa there was extensive discussion on its spirit, between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Proud to say that the Prime Minister was able to make President Trump agree that Indian skilled professionals are contributing greatly to American economy.”

The External Affairs Minister made the comments in Rajya Sabha after Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the H1 B visa matter in the Upper House.

During his US trip, the Prime Minister had urged the United States to keep an open mind on admitting skilled Indian workers, in comments that pushed back against Republican President Donald Trump's "America First" rhetoric on jobs.

Modi's comments reflected concern that India's USD 150 billion IT services industry would suffer if the United States curbs the visas, known as H-1B, it relies on to send its software experts to the United States on project work.

Indian nationals are by far the largest group of recipients of the 65,000 H-1B visas issued each year to new applicants under a cap mandated by Congress. Exemptions on the H-1B cap are available to up to 20,000 further applicants who have obtained a US master's degree.