H-1B Visa: 100,000 dependent spouses got US work permits in last 3 years

While the US government's agenda for the H-1B is still unclear, the data shows that more than 100,000 spouses got the work permits in last 3 years. 

However, the norms for H4 approval may change early next year.

The dependent spouses of H-1B workers get the H4 visa to work in the US. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a data that shows authorization to 104,750 applicants since 2015. The floodgates for H4 were opened 3 years back during Obama administration. 

The immigration laws related to H-1B visa began 30 years ago. For most foreign workers moving to the United States, they have no choice but to have double-income to make the living. Running a family on a single income is an uphill task in the US. Analysts believe that a certain category of H4 visa could be eligible for work authorization.

Before the provision of H4, single-income dependent families had returned back to their homeland. Some of them even tried to head across the Northern border to Canada. For the immigrant families that don't have multiple choices, H4 was a great choice. Considering the taxes that H-1B holders pay, running a single income family is quite difficult in the US.

Under the Obama's administration, the rules and regulations for H-1B workers were quite loose. It was possible for the Indian IT firms to get the maximum approvals for H-1B during Obama's government. Trump's rise in American politics has changed everything for the foreign workers. The anti-immigration agenda by the Trump administration has made it difficult for the Indian firms that rely on H-1B workers 

The data published by USCIS states that the US government approved 26,858 applications in 2015, followed by 41,526 in 2016 and 36,366 until June end this year. Just like there is no confirmation on Trump's agenda for H-1B, there is no clarity in the government's plan for the H4 visa. 

- Rajat Kabade