The Biden administration has moved to rescind the ban on the work visa that had been imposed on the spouses of H1B visa holders by the Trump government. They were given an H4 provision, which did not permit them to look for work in the US.
“Removing H-4 Dependent Spouses from the Class of Aliens Eligible for Employment Authorization” was a Trumpian agenda pursued by the White House with a great deal of inter-agency collaboration and discipline. It was being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. It is generally issued to those that are seeking out job opportunities after filing an application for becoming a permanent resident of the United States.
Spouses of Indian professionals on H-1B visas, mostly women, are the biggest beneficiary of the Obama-era rule that gave employment authorisation cards. This was banned by Donald Trump soon after he came to power. This is now being rolled back by Biden, enabling the spouses to also look for work under this provision.
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