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Washington: The US government has assured India that its plea for a 'totalisation agreement' will be considered to ensure social security benefits for Indian professionals who have worked in America. Addressing a press conference here, India Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley said US trade representative Robert Zoellick gave him the assurance when he raised the issue with US officials. Besides Zoellick, Jaitley met commerce secretary Bob Evans. The agreement, if signed, could help thousands of IT professionals who pay social security taxes while they live and work in the US but are unable to derive the benefits once they leave the country. The minister explained that many of the IT professionals who come to the US on H1-B visas face a handicap in terms of social security deductions. The duration of their H1-B visas is for three years and another extension for three years, which makes it a total of six years. But under US rules they are entitled to the benefits only if they work for 10 years. IT and other professionals contribute $500 million per year to the social security administration, but they don't get back any of the benefits once they return home.
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