India protests UK hike IT visa |
The competitiveness of Indian IT and ITES companies would be adversely affected by a UK proposal to charge all employers recruiting non-EU migrants in the "skilled professionals" category £1,000 per year, the government told Parliament this week. India has asked the British government to reject these proposals. Separately, India has also registered it`s protest with the US government against its decision to double the L-1 and H1-B visa fees for "50:50" companies. Companies employing 50 or more employees in the US, and with 50% or more of them on H1-B or L-1 visas are called "50:50" companies. The UK Migratory Advisory Committee (MAC), in a January report, recommended levying immigration skills charge on all employers recruiting non-EU skilled migrants. India believes that if these recommendations are accepted by the British government, they would adversely affect Indian IT companies and professionals. "India has been taking up this issue consistently with the government of UK including at the highest levels, urging the UK not to accept these recommendations in the interest of the robust economic engagement between India and UK. The US decision was part of the 2016 Omnibus Spending Bill cleared by the US Congress and signed into law by the US president. It doubled visa fees for "50:50" companies for 10 years. PM Modi, the MEA said, had raised this with US President as well.
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