India Plans Easier Visa Policy Among WTO Countries

04 Jun 2016

Indian Commerce Department is preparing a proposal to submit to World Trade Organization members for a smoother visa procedure that will better our trade relations by the end of the July 2016. The continuous Visa issues with the United States compelled India to seek support from these countries.

One of the department officials said, “We will try to find a mechanism which will not concentrate much on market access but facilitation issues like ease of visa transparency and advance rulings for services.” Also, the Government is looking for similarities in the trade facilitation agreements which aim to simplify the custom rules across international borders.

The officials also added, "Our philosophy is to liberalize all the modes in services which will emphasize more on Mode 4 ".

The increase in the visa fees on the H1B and L1 Visa categories has affected Indian software industry drastically.  India shared the idea of trade facilitation with the United States, to draft its own and share it with India.  

There has been no further negotiation on services since the Doha Round of the General Agreement on Trade in Services in 2011. In addition, 23 WTO countries plan to open and improve new markets for licensing, maritime transport, e-commerce, and professionals who can relocate temporarily.  

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