WTO Negotiations for Unlimited H-1B Visas

Date: Monday, July 04, 2005 1:23 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

by Rob Sanchez
July 04, 2005 No. 1282

We celebrate July 4th because that is the day our country established independence from the British Empire. Our status as a sovereign nation wasn't earned easily. Many patriots sacrificed their lives so that we could be an independent nation. The sovereignty that our forefathers fought for is in serious jeopardy as it's whittled away by blue-suited trade negotiators in far away nations.

The WTO is a globalist organization that seeks to transcend the national sovereignty of all nation-states. One of the goals of the WTO is to make everyone in the world a "natural person". In this vision of the new world order, sovereign nation-states will no longer have no power to enforce their immigration laws in order to restrict natural persons from crossing international borders. The word "citizenship" will no longer have meaning in their vision of a "one-world" government.

Now India is using the WTO so that they can send unlimited numbers of workers to the United States:

India might work on better market access to its partners
only if other countries are willing to liberalise Mode 4
and Mode 1 under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in
Services).

The esoteric sounding Mode 1 and 4 that India is trying to liberalize is the part of the GATS agreement that among other things defines the "Movement of Natural Persons". Mode 1 refers to the entry and temporary stay of human laborers for the purpose of providing "services" for employers.

To find out more about "natural persons", read this article:
http://www.thesocialcontract.com/cgi-bin/showarticle.pl?articleID=1201&terms=

In past newsletters I have warned that India was preparing to use WTO negotiations to open up our borders with India so that they have unlimited access to our labor market. These trade deals are now in process. Discussions are being made behind closed doors and will be hidden from our Congress and the U.S. media.

India is proposing that in a trade, the U.S. will be allowed to move its banks into India and export tariffs on some of our farm products will be lifted. The U.S. part of the deal will allow India to have unlimited H-1B visas to send their people here to take jobs. Simply put, India will allow U.S. farmers to sell a few bags of rice to India as long as we are willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of our high paying domestic jobs to the hoards of Indian workers that are waiting to enter the U.S.

So far India is unhappy that the U.S. hasn't agreed to unlimited H-1B visas. It's unlikely that any of the U.S. trade negotiators are the least bit concerned for the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens so a more likely explanation for this impasse may be that the U.S. Trade Representative is holding out for more concessions from India. Our jobs are being used as international bargaining chips!

Articles Used for this Newsletter

http://www.crn.com/nl/crndailynews/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=164903070
Report: India Wants H1B Tripled, Dangles Quid Pro Quo

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1151031.cms
India demands 195K H1-B US visas

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jun262005/business193892005625.asp
India disappointed with offer made by US

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/27/india_wants_more_visas/
India calls for big increase in US IT visas

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1151071.cms
H1-B quota hike to help lawyers, teachers too

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.crn.com/nl/crndailynews/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=164903070

Report: India Wants H1B Tripled, Dangles Quid Pro Quo

Jun. 27, 2005

India is pushing the U.S. to triple the number of foreign worker visas -- dubbed H1B -- from 65,000 annually to 195,000, according to Indian media reports.
India has made formal requests both to the U.S. and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to return the H1B program to 2000 levels. For a three-year period, the quota was temporarily raised to 195,000, but was lowered again to the original, and current, 65,000 ceiling, in 2003.

Nearly four out of every ten H1B visas go to computer professionals or people with other technical skills. Several major American IT firms, in fact, including Microsoft, have urged Congress to increase the number of H1B visas awarded each year. In April, for instance, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates called for increases, saying at the time that "We are very concerned that the U.S. will lose its competitive position" without more foreign workers.

According to The Economic Times, India will offer a quid pro quo if the number of visas is bumped up. "India has made enhancement of the H1B quota as a key bargaining chip for offering concessions on market access for industrial products and farm goods," highly-ranking government officials told the Times.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1151031.cms

India demands 195K H1-B US visas

G GANAPATHY SUBRAMANIAM & MK VENU

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2005 01:01:14 AM]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: IN A move that has significance for Indian professionals seeking to work in the US, the government has made a formal proposal to the WTO demanding that the yearly quota of H1B visas be increased to 1,95,000 from the current ceiling of 65,000.

If conceded, the move could turn out to be a boon for IT and other skilled professionals heading for the US.

In the ongoing WTO talks, India has made enhancement of the H1B quota as a key bargaining chip for offering concessions on market access for industrial products and farm goods, highly-placed government officials said.

Even if the US partly concedes the Indian demand, it will be a big step forward in liberalisation of norms governing movement of natural persons - as work permits are called in WTO parlance.

A formal proposal to this effect has been submitted by India and response from the US is awaited, the sources said.

Under the ongoing talks on liberalisation of services, negotiations are taking place through the requests and offers mode which requires every WTO member-nation to seek market access in specific areas from other countries.

Similarly, willingness to open up specific sectors is also conveyed to all other WTO members. A number of top US companies like Microsoft are also keen to see increase in H1B visas, as this would help them in getting highly-qualified manpower from India.

Most of the 65,000 H1B visas issued every year go to Indians and the quota gets exhausted quickly, sometimes within a day as American companies line up their plans for the whole year in advance. In view of heavy demand, the US allowed an additional quota of 20,000 visas for the current year.

Liberalisation of visas is a key demand of India in current negotiations, with the US and the EU being the key markets of interest. While the services market is divided into four categories, India has emphasised on Mode 4, which relates to liberalisation of visas and Mode 1, which is important for outsourcing as it deals with cross-border supply of services.

Apart from techies, the other beneficiaries of H1B visas include lawyers, accountants, teachers and healthcare professionals.

India would favourably consider demand from the US and the EU for greater market for industrial goods in the country if the request for liberalisation of H1B visas is accepted, sources said.

The government is also looking at granting better market in services as well as agriculture if the demand for more visas is met. The visa issue is important to India, along with other issues like elimination of export subsidies for farm products in the US and the EU.

Scrapping of tariff peaks, which restrict market access to key goods like agriculture, is also being pursued strongly.

Negotiations on services, agriculture and market access for industrial goods - technically called Nama (non-agriculture market access) - are picking up in the run up to the Hong Kong ministerial meeting of the WTO slated for December.

In the case of services, the initial offers of India would pertain to liberalisation of business services, construction and related engineering services, health-related services, tourism and travel-related services, maritime services and transport services.

In certain cases, India has opened up the market for foreign companies on its own and the offer at the WTO would be to commit itself against reversal of market access.

In other words, market access would be bound in a manner that makes it virtually impossible to close the doors on foreign companies without facing serious consequences.

As the time-consuming process of negotiations through offers and requests moves ahead, India might work on better market access to its partners only if other countries are willing to liberalise Mode 4 and Mode 1 under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services). Initial offers were submitted at the end of last month and negotiations with various partners are ongoing.

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http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jun262005/business193892005625.asp

Sunday, June 26, 2005

India disappointed with offer made by US

From D Ravi Kanth
DH News Service, Geneva:

New Delhi had sought unlimited H1B visas for temporary relocation of software engineers, but Washington refused to indicate anything.

India is totally disappointed with the United States at its revised offer to open services sectors for foreign competition as Washington gave a short shrift to New Delhis repeated requests to liberalise cross-border movement in medical services and relax conditions for flow of software professionals, said authoritative sources.

"We are totally disappointed with Washingtons revised offer because it did not address any of Indias core concerns in areas of interest for New Delhi in the services sectors," said a source, arguing that India would make its unhappiness known about the US offer during next weeks special negotiating session at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Recently, the US submitted its revised offer to members of the WTO spelling out areas that Washington is willing to open after the conclusion of Doha trade negotiations.

India pinned hopes on the revised US offer expecting that Washington would take firm commitments against state-wide as well as federal restrictions on what are called cross-border supply of services like outsourcing (Mode 1), consumption abroad for US patients coming to India for health services (in Mode 2), and temporary movement of software and other service providers in (Mode 4) through enhanced H1B visas.

New Delhi, for example, sought unlimited H1B visas for temporary relocation but Washington refused to indicate anything.

Restrictions

Similarly, India conveyed that the US should relax restrictions on medical services in both Mode 1 and Mode 2 because of the huge pool of doctors and state of art facilities. The US, however, remained silent to removing restrictions on medical services. "In sector after sector and mode after mode of services trade, there is nothing in the US offer that would please India at this juncture," sources aid.

If this is Washingtons attitude, then, India would not be encouraged to accept the US demands for more market-opening in services, agricultural and industrial products.

India is yet to submit its revised offer in services spelling out sectors in which it would provide more market-opening after the Doha round of trade negotiations. The Union Cabinet is expect to clear Indias revised services offer next week and indications are that the government would scale down its offer because of low-quality responses from its trading partners such as the US.

The US Deputy Trade Representative Peter Allgeier urged countries like India at the senior officials meeting not to take a "salami" approach to market access. Without a proper tariff-reduction formula and appropriate treatment for sensitive products, it will be difficult for Washington to move in other areas.

India countered the US assessment, saying that the market access negotiations have yet to mature. There should be a clearer view of the outcome on trade-distorting domestic support andexport competition before negotiators move on to addressing the final forms of a formula. Also, during the meeting the US deputy trade representative sharply criticised a proposal that India, Brazil, and Argentina made as to how industrial tariffs should be cut after the Doha trade negotiations.`

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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/27/india_wants_more_visas/

India calls for big increase in US IT visas

By John Oates (john.oates at theregister.co.uk)
Published Monday 27th June 2005 14:19 GMT

India is calling on the US to massively increase the number of working visas available to foreign workers, including Indians. Currently the US grants 65,000 H1B visas a year, but the Indian government wants to increase this to 195,000. Microsoft boss Bill Gates has also called for restrictions to be lifted.

The Indian government has made a formal request to the World Trade Organisation. It originally asked for unlimited visas for technical staff on temporary contracts. The Indian government also called for an end to restrictions on medical services.

H1B visas are granted to teachers, lawyers and healthcare workers as well as techies.

The call comes at a crucial stage in negotiations held by the WTO. Countries are considering service industries as well as agriculture and manufacturing. Individual countries are in "request and offer" mode where they can ask for access to specific markets or show their enthusiasm for opening up parts of their own markets.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1151071.cms

H1-B quota hike to help lawyers, teachers too

G GANAPATHY SUBRAMANIAM AND MK VENU

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2005 01:40:54 AM]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: India is looking to increase the quota of US visas from 65,000 to 1,95,000 at the WTO negotiations this year. It has made a formal request to the WTO and the US with regard to the same.

Apart from techies, the other beneficiaries of H1B visas include lawyers, accountants, teachers and healthcare professionals. India would favourably consider demand from the US and the EU for greater market for industrial goods in the country if the request for liberalisation of H1B visas is accepted, sources said.

The government is also looking at granting better market in services as well as agriculture if the demand for more visas is met. The visa issue is important to India, along with other issues like elimination of export subsidies for farm products in the US and the EU. Scrapping of tariff peaks, which restrict market access to key goods like agriculture, is also being pursued strongly.

Negotiations on services, agriculture and market access for industrial goods = technically called Nama (non-agriculture market access) - are picking up in the run up to the Hong Kong ministerial meeting of the WTO slated for December. In the case of services, the initial offers of India would pertain to liberalisation of business services, construction and related engineering services, health-related services, tourism and travel-related services, maritime services and transport services.

In certain cases, India has opened up the market for foreign companies on its own and the offer at the WTO would be to commit itself against reversal of market access. In other words, market access would be bound in a manner that makes it virtually impossible to close the doors on foreign companies without facing serious consequences.

As the time-consuming process of negotiations through offers and requests moves ahead, India might work on better market access to its partners only if other countries are willing to liberalise Mode 4 and Mode 1 under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services). Initial offers were submitted at the end of last month and negotiations with various partners are ongoing.

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