Two influential US lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to protect work aut🐻horisation of H-4 visa workers, mostly spouses of Indian professionals having H-1B visas.
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 mo🦂nth the long-promised regulation that would prevent the work authorisation to spouseಞs on H-4 visas.
🌱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.
This week, the Trump administration announced plans to overturn current the DHS regulations that allow certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders who are stuck in Green Card backlogs to obtain emp𝓡loyment authorisation, pursue their own professional goals and contribute to the US economy, said the lawmakers Anna G Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren.
Many H-4 visa holders are highly skill🌠ed professionals, and the DHS previously extended eligibility for employment authorisation to them recognisi🌃ng 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, they said.
Since the rule wa♕s implemented, over 100,000 workers, mainly women, have received employment authorisation, and the H-4 Employmen♛t Protection Act prohibits the Trump administration from revoking this important rule.
"H-4 visa 🌱holders deserve a chance to contribute to their local economies and provide for their families," Eshoo said.
"This is a ma💖tter of economic fairness and this legislation ensures it will continue," she added.
H-4 visa holders had obtained work permits under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration.𝓰 Indian-Americans were a major beneficiary of this provision. More than one lakh H-4 visa holders have been beneficiary of this rule.
";While the Trump administration sits on its hands and does nothing, American citizens in-waiting are stuck in line for their number to come up,&💎quot; Lofgren said.
"Nobody benefits from this system, least of all the American economy, when H-1B dependent spouses are prohibited from working. Many of these are accomplished and qualified indi♈♓viduals whose skills we'll lose to other countries unless the Administration finds a more sensible approach to immigration," she said.
Last Nov✨ember, Eshoo and Lofgren originally introduced the H-4 Employment Protection Act.
In March 2018, Eshoo and Lofgren led 13 Members of Congress in writing to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, urging her to reconsider DHS's proposal 🃏to revoke eligibility for employment au𓆉thorisation to H-4 dependent spouses.
A 2015 rule issueꦏd by the Obama administration allows work permits for spouses who otherwise could not be employed while H-1B visa holders seek permanent resident status, a process that can take a decade or longer.
The H-1B programme offers t꧂emporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.
Since taking o🍌ffice, the Trump administration has been talking about cracking down on the H- 1B visa sch✅eme.
During his election campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversig��ht of our H-1B and L-1 visa programmes to prevenℱt its abuse.
PTI
