Trump Administration Seeks To End Work Permits For H-4 Visa Holders; Thousands Of Indian Families Could Be Impacted
· Free Press Journal
Washington: A new US government proposal could end the legal work rights of thousands of H-4 visa holders in America, potentially reversing a policy that has allowed them to work for more than a decade. The move could affect thousands of spouses of H-1B professionals in the United States, with Indian families likely to be among the biggest groups impacted.
The Trump administration is seeking to end work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders. A large number of H-4 work permit holders are Indian. H-4 visas are granted to spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 of H-1B visa holders.
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H-4 visas are granted to spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 of H-1B visa holders. The visa allows eligible family members to live in the US alongside the H-1B worker, but it does not itself grant work authorisation.
As per the rules introduced in 2015, certain H-4 spouses became eligible to apply separately for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The work permit allows them to take up employment in the US.
Don't Leave America! Microsoft, JP Morgan, Amazon, IBM, and Apple Caution H1B & H4 TechiesThe eligibility generally covers H-4 spouses whose H-1B partners have an approved employment-based immigrant petition, known as Form I-140, or qualify for certain H-1B extensions beyond the standard six-year limit. The new DHS proposal aims to reverse the 2015 policy and reinstate the earlier rule under which H-4 dependent spouses could not apply for work authorisation.
Notably, it is not the first time the Trump administration has sought to roll back H-4 employment rights. During Trump’s first term, the DHS moved in 2017 to end work authorisation for certain H-4 spouses. However, the proposal was never finalised and was ultimately withdrawn in 2021.