India and the US held a confidential bilateral dialogue at the WTO for solving many issues that were lifted by India in a key business dispute against the barriers from the US on short term services providers’ movement or non immigrant visas, but the probability of an cordial outcome appear to be difficult.
In a complaint filed which comprised of three pages over two months back, India has raised two set of matters concerning the measures taken by the US related to the visa fee issue and steps taken relate to the numerical commitment for work visas.
During two days of dialogue for understanding the dispute settlement, both the nations has exchanged their views on specific matters raised by India on many US steps on US non immigrant visas.
India had told that the present steps that were taken by the US under its Public Law 114-113, has raised the previous fees under Public law 111-230 and had make the improved fee applicable for extension of status of visa as well.
India also told that the steps taken by the US had denied IT firms of India a favorable treatment as compared to the US firms providing services in sectors like computers or related sectors, thereby ensuing in non compliance of compulsion the US had undertaken in its scheduled GATS commitments.
According to India, the steps taken by the US on its non immigrant visas are not in conformity with many GATS core provisions.
India had challenged the US on the matter of commitments for H-1B visas for around 65,000 individuals yearly. Though two sides maintained silence on the overall consultations that includes specific matters raised by India.
Relying on the entire assessment of the reply it gets from the US, India would decide whether to drop the dispute or go ahead with a request of setting up a panel for dispute settlement.
