US Consul-general Henry V Jardine tries his hand at basketball during a visit to JRD Tata Sports Complex. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Feb. 6: A visit by US consul-general Henry V. Jardine to the Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI) gave students an opportunity to clarify their doubts over visas.

Queries involved the possibility of increasing student exchange programmes and the expected increase in H1B visas after a decision by President George W. Bush to relax the visa limit.

As expected, the budding managers of Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI) took advantage of Jardine?s visit to the institution?s campus to deliver a talk on Indo-US trade relations tonight.

The consul-general is on his maiden visit to Jharkhand after he took over the office last August.

Jardine was accompanied by senior advisor Vikant Sahay.

Anxious to know about the latest developments, the B-School students lobbed a host of questions related to the implications of the recent announcement of the US president on the H1B visas and the possibility of increasing the exchange programmes between the two countries.

Most of the students present were interested to know the exact number by which the limit on H1B visa will be increased.

One of the students raised the issue of difficulties faced in case they apply for tourist visas.

?There are many things to be considered if a student applies for a tourist visa to the US. We have to ensure that he is actually interested to visit US as tourist and not use it as a tool for immigration,? said Jardine.

?At the same time we also have to look at the applicant?s financial background apart from the purpose of visit,? he added.

Jardine, however, assured the students of a fair scrutiny of the applications from his office if they apply for a tourist visa.

?In wake of the increasing bilateral Indo-US trade relations and partnership in different other spheres such as health and strategic exchange, I feel that the number of applicants being granted a visa to the US will increase in the days to come,? said Jardine.

However, he declined to reveal any figures as the matter is still under discussion by the US State department and the legislature.

Jardine also appreciated the willingness of the management students to undertake frequent exchange programmes with US universities.

He also provided the information that last week the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and George Washington University have entered into an agreement for studies in law and intellectual property rights.