India to outsource paperwork to U.S. company

[OhioChick]

2007/3/5

India has taken thousands of American jobs through outsourcing. Now it's giving a few back.
The Indian government plans to outsource processing of visas (visitor documents, not the credit cards) from its embassy in Washington, D.C., to an American-based company.

A top embassy official wouldn't say whether the 40 staffers who do the jobs now would be laid off. Many of them are Indian nationals.

"We are not going to let too many go," said Gautam Bambawale, head of political affairs at the embassy.

University of California, Berkeley, professor Harley Shaiken, who specializes in labor issues, said the move "is really a man bites dog kind of story. It's a small irony in an otherwise serious situation." He said outsourcing of technology help lines, accounting work and even medical procedures played a significant role in the US$11.7-billion U.S. trade deficit with India last year.

"It's nice to know that they retain us when it comes to processing visas," Shaiken said. "Of course it would be better if it was in automobiles or textiles." The rush of businesspeople to India is one reason why the Indian government needed to overhaul its visa processing service. About 150,000 U.S. residents applied for visas to India last year, tripling the number in 2000.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/business/200735/103892.htm

[NYC]

1. That's almost funny.

I wonder when people will outsource to us because we have the lowest wages.

[catnhatnh]

2. ALMOST....

Get this-we have outsourced SO MANY jobs to India that we must now send so large a contingent of managers TO India that we have overwhelmed their ability to process visas to the point they have to outsouce 50 visa processing jobs BACK HERE......Laugh or cry????