Washington sources stated that two influential US lawmakers have introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to protect work authorization of H-4 visa workers, mostly spouses of Indian professionals having H-1B visas. Meanwhile the introduction of such a legislation by the two lawmakers from California comes days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it would publish this month the long-promised regulation that would prevent the work authorization to spouses on H-4 visas.
Furthermore H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from india. Reportedly many H-4 visa holders are highly skilled professionals, and the DHS previously extended eligibility for employment authorization to them recognizing the economic burdens of families of many H-1B workers, particularly those who live in high cost areas like Silicon Valley on a single income as they await green card approvals.
Moreover since the rule was implemented, over 100,000 workers, mainly women, have received employment authorization, and the H-4 Employment Protection Act prohibits the Trump administration from revoking this important rule. Apparently H-4 visa holders had obtained work permits under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration. Indian-Americans were a major beneficiary of this provision, where more than one lakh H-4 visa holders have been beneficiary of this rule.
