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http://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-promises-india-no-new-h-1b-restrictions-unless-unemployment-gets-worse-2009-3

Silicon Alley Insider

White House Promises India: No New H-1B Restrictions -- Unless Unemployment
Gets Worse

Eric Krangel|Mar. 20, 2009, 11:09 AM

larrysummers-surprised_tbi.jpg If you think the H-1B issue has been
controversial in America, in India they're apoplectic.

So when a delegation of Indian CEOs visited the White House yesterday
to discuss economic and trade issues, they brought up the H-1B
controversy.

Obama Administration officials -- including Lawrence Summers -- assured
the Indian business leaders no new wave of protectionist policies was
in the works. That is, unless unemployment gets worse.

That's what the Indians say they were told, anyway.

Press Trust of India: India's corporate leadership raised the issue of
H-1B visa restrictions during their first high level interaction with
Obama Administration officials and was assured that there would not be
a serious setback to the programme unless unemployment rate in US
plummets drastically.

The issue was raised by the visiting CII's CEO Mission led by Bharati
enterprise chairman Sunil Bharati Mittal, who among others met Lawrence
Summers, Director of the National Economic Council, at the White House
yesterday.

During the meeting, the delegation comprising of top Indian CEOs
brought to the notice the concerns about the recent developments in the
US with regard to H-1B work visa programme and certain provisions in
the stimulus bill.

"I do not see that there would be serious setback to H-1B visa
programme or export programme, unless the unemployment rate goes down
further in a severe manner," Mittal, chairman and group CEO of Bharati
Enterprise, told PTI in an interview after the meeting.

"They were positive," Bharati said referring to the response from the
Obama Administration officials with regard to these issues raised by
the CII delegation. "They believed that US will still remain open," he
said.

During the meeting the officials shared the pressure the administration
is facing from the US Congress on the issue of unemployment in the
country.