Author: K.P. Narayana Kumar
Publication: The Week
Date: March 7, 2004
URL: http://www.the-week.com/24mar07/currentevents_article10.htm#4
Getting an Indian job visa is a
cakewalk. According to a human resources manager with a BPO in Delhi,
not once has a foreign candidate cleared by his company for recruitment
been rejected by the embassy. "Usually, once we send the offer letter and
other papers to the candidate and he forwa-rds them to the Indian embassy
there, a visa is granted within a week."
Shiv Agrawal is a senior manager
with one of the largest manpower recruiters in the country, ABC Consultants.
He gets at least 20 phone calls a week from foreigners wanting to work
in India, usually in BPOs, IT and healthcare sectors. "Visa is never a
problem," says Agrawal.
"It is relatively easy to get an
employment visa in India," says joint secretary Pravin Srivastava of the
home ministry.
Most of the expatriates land jobs
in Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, largely
in the capitals. The Japanese, British, Americans, Russians, Thai, Canadians,
Germans, French and Australians figure the most in the list of foreign
employees in India.
As reverse migration is a recent
trend, the number of vacancies they fill does not seem to be threatening
the natives and therefore the government too has not sought to discourage
expats by formulating complicated visa procedures.
The trade unions which go ballistic
every time the government discusses foreign investment or downsizing have
so far been quiet spectators.
