The Permits Foundation’s executive director, Michiel van Campen, has written a letter to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security ahead of a planned announcement (expected later this month) to rescind employment authorisation for certain H-4 dependent spouses.

Current H-4 visa rules

The H-4 dependent spouses rule which was made effective May 26, 2015 extended the eligibility for employment authorisation to certain H-4 dependent spouses of certain H-1B nonimmigrants who have already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. 

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Support for current immigration policy 

In his letter Mr van Campen requests that the US authorities maintain the programme as it currently is and recommends against rescinding work access for this subset of H-4 spouses.In his letter Mr van Campen said, “This need to attract skilled workers is particularly relevant in the USA and we note the gap between STEM job openings and available graduates as highlighted in a letter to USCIS from leading business groups – a letter that we fully support.“Removing H-4 spouse access to employment would result in costs to US businesses as some will face the disruption of losing the H-4 spouse, while others may lose the H-1 employee if the family lose faith in the whole process and relocate to another country where the spouse or partner can work.”You can read the full letter from the Permits Foundation to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services here.

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Read more about the mobility industry in the Winter issue of our magazine 

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