Sushma Swaraj meets US Secretary of State, raises H-1B visa issue

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and strongly raised the issue of H-1B visa, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals.

"EAM Sushma Swaraj strongly raised the issue of H-1B visa and children falling under DACA policy with Secretary Tillerson," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing the H-1B visa policy as it thinks that the visa is being misused by companies to replace American workers.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was an American immigration policy that allowed some individuals who entered the country illegally as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and to be eligible for a work permit.

The policy was established by former US President Barack Obama's administration in June 2012 and was rescinded by the Trump administration in September 2017.

Sushma, who met Tillerson on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly session, also discussed regional issues with a focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan and counter-terrorism with the US Secretary of State.


"The two sides reviewed all aspects of the bilateral relationship, including expanding our trade and investment relations," Kumar said.

This was the highest-level meeting between the leaders of the two countries since June when Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Donald Trump.

The meeting also comes ahead of the visit of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to India next week.

Indian delegation included Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna. The American delegation among others included Acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells and Lisa Curtis who heads the South Asia division in National Security Council of the White House.

(with agencies input)