Highlights
- H-4 is issued to the spouse of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India
- A 2015 rule allows work permits for spouses who otherwise could not be employed while H-1B visa holders seek permanent resident status
- Indian-Americans were a major beneficiary of this provision
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is planning to propose to end allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US, a top federal agency official has told lawmakers, a move that could have a devastating impact on tens of thousands of Indians.
The move to end the Obama-era rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.
H-4 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.
