US move to abolish H-4 visas set to impact tens of thousands of Indians


New Delhi, Oct 18(PTI): Abandoning the Obama-era rule of granting work permits to H-4 visa holders - who are spouses of professionals holding H-1B visas, mostly Indians - will benefit some US workers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believes.

The Trump administration is planning to revoke a rule that makes spouses of thousands of immigrant workers eligible to work while in the US, a move that could impact tens of thousands of Indians.

H-4 visa is issued to the spouse of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. They had obtained work permits under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration in 2015.

The move to end the rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.

The DHS in its Unified Fall Agenda released on Wednesday said it believed that abandoning the current practice of granting employment authorisation to H-4 dependent spouses would benefit some US workers. The DHS said the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early.

The DHS, which has already delayed three times this year issuing of the necessary notification, said in its agenda that it was on its way to remove H-4 dependent spouses from getting work authorisation.

In its agenda, the DHS said it anticipated that there would be two primary impacts that it can estimate and quantify. First, the cost-savings accruing to forgone future filings by certain H-4 dependent spouses, and labour turnover costs that employers of H-4 workers could incur when their employees' employment authorisations are terminated.

"Some US workers would benefit from this proposed rule by having a better chance at obtaining jobs that some of the population of the H-4 workers currently hold, as the proposed rule would no longer allow H-4 workers to enter the labour market early," it said.

As of December 25, 2017, US Citizenship and Immigration Services had approved 126,853 applications for employment authorisation for H-4 visa holders. These count all approvals since May 2015 when the rule was implemented. This number includes 90,946 initial approvals, 35,219 renewals, and 688 replacements for lost cards.

Last month, two powerful Democratic women Senators – Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand – had urged the Trump administration not to go ahead with its decision to revoke authorisation to immigrants those on H-4 visas as such a move would have an impact on about 100,000 women.

"Preventing women from engaging in employment can lead to isolation, depression, anxiety, feelings of guilt, and a loss of self-worth. Revoking a wife's ability to work leaves her and her children entirely dependent on her spouse.”

"Increased isolation – coupled with complete financial dependence — can make leaving an abusive relationship dangerous and, in some cases, impossible," they wrote.

However, the release of the Unified Fall Agenda shows that the Trump administration is on track to undo the H-4 spouse work authorisation decision taken by the previous Obama administration.

  

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Comment on this article

  • AMAR NATHAL, MANGALORE

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Secularism means "India-First". So, Trumpism means America-First. Who are we to question their policy? Their nation. We can need put up and shut up. We need to focus on our own employment opportunities. Chai pakoda joint venture at villege level.. Rafale-Ambani at national level. Self employed.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Bangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Trump gives more priorities to US citizens and work for their secured future which may be his main agenda.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • mohan, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Don't worry....modis digital India and swacha Bharat by broom and chai pakode industrialisation will provide Lot of jobs..

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mangalurian, Mangaluru

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    Over 80% of the visa beneficiaries are Telugus.

    Over 80% of the businesses engaged in transporting the so-called IT workers from India are run by Telugus.

    It appears that at last Americans have woken up to the reality that US Citizens (many of them children of yester-years' H-1B visa holders) are a great deal better IT workers than the Telugus transported by other Telugus.

    Look at the About webpage of ITServe Alliance (https://www.itserve.org/about) to see the reality of Telugu influence in USA IT world.

    When this ITServe Alliance outputs media releases, it talks about how INDIANS are affected, and not TELUGUS.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • NN, NN

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    H-4 visa has its own draw backs. H-1B visa holders are required to work only at the specific job and specific employer for which the visa is granted. Where as, the H-4 visa holders, the spouses of H-1B, are free to work in any fields and for any employers without any limitation. They can work as Cashiers at Wal Mart to Physicians at the hospitals. This rule, in fact, takes away jobs from American citizens and bring the salary range down.

    When the spouses followed their H1B partners, they knew very well about their employment situation, risks, etc. They knew that their stay was temporary in the USA. Now the time has come and revocation of their visa is not a surprise according to the newly enacted Tax Cut and Jobs Act 2017.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Amith, NAGPUR

    Thu, Oct 18 2018

    Who cares!!!!! We have lot of jobs here in Nagpur and in India!!!!! Out of 2 crores per year total 8 crore jobs have been created so far by my Feku Chacha. Out of that we can easily spare some 2-3 lakhs to the USA returns!!!! "DON'T WORRY AS LONG AS MY FEKU CHACHA JINDA HAI"

    DisAgree [4] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rohan Pinto, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    The funny thing is the most who support feku here are already settled in US and Canada

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Alwyn, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 19 2018

    You are right Amith,

    Feku created many jobs but now even Railway Station Chai Wala job also useless. No cash, No currency, and NO original Tea powder too. All Feku made in Pathanjali.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Alwyn, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 18 2018

    It will be good for American citizens but will affect very bad to Indians.

    Last Updated: October 18th, 2018. Check Timeline for full status updates by date. Scroll down for the latest update.
    Background:

    Please visit the web page:
    https://redbus2us.com/h4-ead-latest-news-updates-rule-removal-timeline/

    DisAgree [2] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse


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