Washington: The issue of US visa fee hike, which has hurt several Indian IT firms, is expected to come up for discussion when External Affairs Minister S M Krishna meets US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
India has "consistently" taken up the issue of the visa fee hike with the US and the issue will figure in talks between Mr Krishna and Ms Clinton, official sources told PTI here.
The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on securing border with Mexico under the Border Security Act.
Some of the top Indian companies TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam were affected by the US action and India is expected to soon seek consultations with the US at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the issue.
The sources said that young Indian professionals working in the US have been the "cornerstone" of India-US relations and are a pillar in the improved bilateral relations that has brought the two countries closer.
Hiking visa fees or limiting the number of work visas available to Indian companies is tantamount to "undermining that pillar and growth in India-US relations," they added.
"Raising visa fees and putting other barriers is not in consonance with the forward thinking of growing bilateral ties," the sources said.
This will be the third bilateral meeting between Mr Krishna and Ms Clinton this year. They had previously met in India in April and again in June in Washington.
The sources said that the two countries have a fairly elaborate agenda and the visa issue is one of the issues in a broader relationship. Mr Krishna will also address the 67th session of the UN General Assembly today.
He would also participate in a meeting to commemorate 15 years of the convention against chemical weapons and the informal meeting of the SAARC Foreign Ministers on October 2.
India has "consistently" taken up the issue of the visa fee hike with the US and the issue will figure in talks between Mr Krishna and Ms Clinton, official sources told PTI here.
The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on securing border with Mexico under the Border Security Act.
The sources said that young Indian professionals working in the US have been the "cornerstone" of India-US relations and are a pillar in the improved bilateral relations that has brought the two countries closer.
Advertisement
"Raising visa fees and putting other barriers is not in consonance with the forward thinking of growing bilateral ties," the sources said.
Advertisement
The sources said that the two countries have a fairly elaborate agenda and the visa issue is one of the issues in a broader relationship. Mr Krishna will also address the 67th session of the UN General Assembly today.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
India Lifted 800 Million People Out Of Poverty "Simply By Smartphone": UNGA Clintons Praise Biden's "Extraordinary Career Of Service", Endorse Kamala Harris Pak Harbours "Most Dubious Track Record" On All Aspects: India At UN General Assembly Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Delhi Experienced 15 Consecutive Days Of Rainfall, Says Weather Department Pilot Dies After Plane Crashes During Aerobatic Show In France Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.