The Trump administration is planning to end allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US. The move, it has been reported, will impact more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.
H-4 is issued to the spouse of H-1B visa holders. They obtained work permits under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration that allowed work permits for spouses who otherwise could not be employed while H-1B visa holders sought permanent resident status.
The Trump administration, however, is planning to terminate this provision, according to a letter by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Francis Cissna to Senator Chuck Grassley.
“Our plans include proposing regulatory changes to remove H-4 dependent spouses from the class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation, thereby reversing the 2015 final rule that granted such eligibility,” Cissna said.
He further stated that such action would comport with the executive order requirement to “propose new rules and issue new guidance, to supersede or revise previous rules and guidance if appropriate, to protect the interests of United States workers in the administration of our immigration system.”
