Image Credit: X account @DrSJaishankar
Jaishankar to Meet Rubio Amid H-1B Fee Row
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 AM EST (8:30 PM IST).
Agenda: Visa Fee and Trade Tensions
The agenda is expected to focus on the recent U.S. move to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. Officials clarified that the fee is not recurring and does not apply to renewals or existing visa holders. Broader trade issues are also likely to come up, with recent U.S. tariffs on Indian exports and India’s continued Russian oil purchases adding strain to relations.
Context of India-U.S. Relations
This marks the first direct meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio since mid-2025, when tensions over tariffs and visas escalated. India has voiced concerns about the visa fee’s impact on its IT sector. Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is leading parallel discussions to resolve trade disputes and reinforce cooperation between the two countries.
