US body to resolve visa issues of Indians

Amidst India raising concerns over visa issues with the US, an American investment facilitation body, SelectUSA, today said it would help in resolving them by highlighting them before the state administration.

"What we do as an imbudsman is that we highlight the cases (visa related). We highlight the specific situation so that the agencies responsible come into the picture and make a resolution...

When it is highlighted, it gets the attention," SelectUSA Executive Director Vinai K Thummalapally told reporters.

Established by President Obama in 2011, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment into America.

It is a wing of US Department of Commerce.

It helps investors find the information they need to make decisions, connect to the right people at the local level, navigate the federal regulatory system and find solutions to issues related to the federal government. "...visa issuance continues to be a big concern for lot of our investors but we get the resolutions in a very very timely manner," he said.

He also invited Indian companies to participate in the second SelectUSA Investment Summit, to be held on March 23-24, 2015 in Washington.

At the first summit, India's delegation was the fourth largest, he said. The Summit will serve as a platform through which investors can learn about opportunities and make the connections they need to grow their businesses in the US.

"We are here to specifically highlight the advantages and strength of doing business or considering to do business in the US," Thummalapally said.

During the summit, small and medium enterprises sector would be the main focus area, he added.

Thummalapally would also visit cities including Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mumbai and Bangalore and meet business leaders, prospective investors and trade associations.

He will discuss the ways in which SelectUSA can help facilitate connections, answer questions from prospective investors, and demystify federal regulations.

In July, Export-Import Bank of India entered into a partnership with SelectUSA to help and advice domestic firms interested in investing in the world's largest economy.

During the meeting with Acting Deputy US Trade Representative Wendy Cutler on Wednesday,

Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher raised concerns with the US authorities over high visa fees and discriminatory social security benefits to Indian professionals working in America.

A US law had substantially increased the fees for H1B and L1 categories of visas for applicants which employ more than 50 persons in the US or have more than 50 per cent their employees admitted on non-immigrant visas (the 50:50 rule).