Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that PM Narendra Modi took up the H1B issue "without using the word H1B".
"Without using the word H1B visa, there was extensive discussion on its spirit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump," Sushma said in the Rajya Sabha in response to an Opposition member's question on the issue.
"Proud to say PM Modi was able to make President Trump agree that Indian skilled professionals are contributing greatly to the American economy," she added.
V Maitreyan of the AIADMK raised the visa issue and asked the government to elaborate if US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi spoke about the H1B visa issue.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Anand Sharma took up the issue of US deciding to cut the number of H1B visas, and restriction on Indian IT professionals working in the US.
"There is not even a mention of IT professionals in the joint statement issued by India and United States following the Prime Minister's visit to the country,” Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha.
H1B visa is an employment-based, non-immigrant visa category for temporary workers. An employer offers a job and applies for the applicant’s H1B visa petition with the US Immigration Department.
According to reports, Trump had signed an executive order in April to tighten the rules of the H1B visa programme to stop visa abuses.
He earlier had said that his administration is going to enforce ‘Hire American’ rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.