New Delhi, Aug. 25 -- National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) on Tuesday said the proposed increase in H-1B visa fees should be assessed in light of the programme's original purpose of helping US employers access temporary specialised skills when shortages exist, while pointing to increased local hiring and investments by Indian technology companies in the American workforce.

"A proposed increase in visa fees must therefore be viewed in the context of the programme's original purpose of enabling access to temporary skills where there is a shortage in the US," Nasscom said in its statement on the proposed H-1B visa fee increase.

Nasscom's comments came after the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a...