Arguing strongly in favour of the H-1B visa programme, an umbrella body of Indian and American industrialists has asked the US Congress to stop targeting Indian companies with discriminatory fees as they have brought investment and quality jobs into the country.

The US India Business Council (USIBC) has said that the H-1B programme has helped attract billions of dollars of Indian investment into the US, which in turn is supporting tens of thousands of quality jobs in all 50 states.

"The continued targeting of Indian companies could put these opportunities in jeopardy. "Unfortunately, Congress has targeted Indian firms and used them to pay for unrelated US initiatives by imposing large and discriminatory fee increases on 50/50 firms seeking to sponsor new H-1B and L-1 visas," said Ron Somers, president of USIBC.