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RCEP: Boost for India on easier visa norms
Negotiations on easier visa norms
Context
- India’s push for easier norms on movement of professionals across borders for short-term work in 16 Asia-Pacific nations, including itself, under a proposed mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is learnt to have found favour with some ASEAN-bloc members.
Negotiations
- The proposed FTA, officially known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is being negotiated by these countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
- The RCEP technical level talks are currently being held in Hyderabad.
- A handful of ASEAN countries are also assumed to be supporting India’s proposal for an RCEP Travel Card to facilitate visa-free multiple short-term entry across the RCEP region for business and tourism purposes.
- Australia and New Zealand (who are RCEP members) are blocking the move.
- India carrying a vast pool of services professionals, including from IT/ITeS, sector, had been leading the talks on easing restrictions on temporary movement of professionals.
- Many RCEP member nations fears that it would lead to migration of professionals from India and loss of jobs for locals.
- India asserts that its demands on temporary movement of professionals and skilled workers should not be confused with permanent movement (or immigration).
- Indian information technology industry body Nasscom informed the RCEP trade negotiators that the Indian IT-ITeS sector had supported 4.54 lakh jobs in the RCEP region (excluding India).
