April 2018 H-1B issue: 60,000 spouses of Indian H-1B holders to lose jobs

Started by Sudhakar, Apr 26, 2018, 06:05 AM

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Sudhakar

H-1B issue: 60,000 spouses of Indian H-1B holders to lose jobs

The H-1B spouses will soon lose their jobs as the Trump administration is set to denounce their visa status. The USCIS has hinted its decision to end the provision for the H4 work visa.

The US government has issued employment authorization to more than 71,000 spouses of H-1B visa holders. A recent study by Migration Policy Institute in the US suggests that 90% of the H4 holders are Indians. The Obama-era rule has helped the legal immigrant workers to create two income streams to support the family.

Francis Cissna, the Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has written a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley. His letter said, "Our plans include proposing regulatory changes to remove H-4 dependent spouses from the class of aliens eligible for employment authorization, thereby reversing the 2015 final rule that granted such eligibility."

There is no concrete date when the work authorization will be banned for H-1B holder's spouses. However, the USCIS director's letter reveals the estimated date. A formal letter of communication will be made later this summer. The information by lawmakers suggests that the work authorization will be removed post-June this year.

Trump administration had delayed the decision on the termination of work authorization in March. This was a great relief for Indian workers and their families. The Department of Homeland Security had declared in the court submission in March that the decision to terminate work authorization of H4 visa holders will not be taken until June.

The Obama-led government had started issuing work permits to the spouses of H-1B holders in 2015. The government had made a proviso of H-4 visas to allow the dependents of H-1B to come and work in the US. Before 2015, there was no such provision for the spouses of H-1B holders.

The Migration Policy Institute's report suggests that over 71,287 H-4 visas have been granted so far. The institute's report said, "As of June 2017, USCIS had granted 71,287 initial (versus renewal) employment authorization documents to H-4 spouses. Of those H-4 spouses with work authorization as of early 2017, 94 percent were women, and the vast majority, 93 percent, were from India; four percent were from China."

A number of organizations and IT firms are lobbying against the Trump's decision. Silicon Valley-based firms are requesting the Trump government to retain Obama-era rule and allow the H-1B holders' spouses to work legally in the US.

Source : https://www.techgig.com/tech-news/H-1B-issue-60-000-spouses-of-Indian-H-1B-holders-to-lose-jobs-176517