US Plans to End Work Permit for H-1B Visa Spouses

In an attempt to toughen the H-1B visa rules, the Donald Trump administration will streamline the procedure. H-1B visa, that attracts the best foreign talent outside the US, is especially popular among Indians. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

A 2015 rule introduced H-4 visa under the Obama administration that allowed spouses of H-1B visa holders to work as seeking a permanent residence status by an H1-B holder could take 10 years or more.

The current administration is planning to end this rule and a formal announcement on it could be made by the end of summer, reported PTI.

This change will impact over 70,000 H-4 holders with work permits.

A recent study by the Migration Policy Institute revealed that the US has 71,000 spouses of H-1B visa holders who were issued employment authorization and 90 percent of them were Indians.