H-1B visa holders’ spouses to get automatic work authorisation permits in US

In what can be called a blessing for several Indian-Americans, the United States has finally agreed to provide automatic work authorisation permits to the spouses of numerous H-1B visa holders.  

On behalf of immigrant spouses, the American Immigration Lawyers' Association had filed a lawsuit. In this case, the settlement has been reached by the Department of Homeland Security, reported PTI.   

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Now, the spouses of H-1B and L-2 visa holders will no longer have to apply for work authorisation or need an employment authorisation document as proof to work in the country.  

Jon Wasden from the association said, "This (H-4 visa holders) is a group that always met the regulatory test for automatic extension of EADs (employment authorisation documents), but the agency previously prohibited them from that benefit and forced them to wait for reauthorisation. People were suffering. They were losing their high-paying jobs for absolutely no legitimate reason causing harm to them and US businesses."   

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"Although this is a giant achievement, the parties' agreement will further result in a massive change in position for the USCIS, which now recognises that L-2 spouses enjoy automatic work authorisation incident to status, meaning these spouses of executive and managers will no longer have to apply for employment authorisation prior to working in the United States," the association said.   

(With inputs from agencies)