On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 13:26:47 EST, Wirt Atmar <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Michael quotes Bush regarding his defense of outsourcing and the positive
>effects that it has on the American economy:
>
>> Younger Indians are acquiring a taste for pizzas from Domino's, Pizza
>>  Hut,'' Bush said to laughs from the audience at a Washington hotel.
>>  ``Today, India's consumers associate American brands with quality and
>>  value, and this trade is creating opportunity at home.''
>
>Delivered in 30 hours or less or your money back?
>
>Wirt Atmar


Wirt,

it took too long, they come here to pick up their pizza. ;->
For the right $-amount, I am sure he'll do it.
Michael

Indian software firms to lobby Bush to increase visa quota  

BANGALORE, India (AFP) - Indian software firms said they would lobby US 
President George W. Bush during his March visit to double the visa quota 
for Indian information technology professionals. 

India employs 700,000 software professionals, up from 7,000 a decade ago, 
and many of them work abroad using special visas on contracts won by local 
technology companies.

The National Association of Software Services Companies (NASSCOM), India's 
top software lobby, said the annual limit of 65,000 H1-B visas was too low 
and wants it doubled.

"We are concerned with the existing cap on H1-B visas, which continue to 
trouble us. This is something even the US corporations are concerned about 
and share with us," NASSCOM president Kiran Karnik told reporters here.

"NASSCOM intends to take up the issue with President Bush during his 
forthcoming visit. Since the US administration too understands our needs, 
we hope they address it," he said.

Karnik said the number of visas needed to be doubled to bridge the "demand-
supply gap."

"Let the market forces to be the deciding factor as the Indian IT industry 
is the major user of the H1-B visas," Karnik said.

The software body said it would also bring up the issue of Indian 
professionals in the US paying taxes for social security as they do not 
work in the country long enough to reap any benefits.

Karnik suggested the social security tax could be refunded when the workers 
left the country.

He said NASSCOM would also ask Bush to speed up the process of issuing 
visas for which interviews currently take three to six months.

The United States is India's largest market for software services. US 
companies, citing a shortage of skilled technology workers, have lobbied to 
raise the number of visas by 30,000 and the proposal is pending before 
Congress

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