Work permits for H-1B spouses could disappear, leaving lives in flux

[greensboro]

Work permits for H-1B spouses could disappear, leaving lives in flux

By Trisha Thadani

August 22, 2017 Updated: August 22, 2017 10:08am

 

 

 

 

As soon as Karishma Chawla stepped off the plane in the U.S., any semblance of independence and purpose she once had suddenly felt stripped away.

In India, she’d been a successful businesswoman who owned and managed her own restaurant. She could live in America, thanks to her husband’s status as an H-1B visa holder. But she felt trapped by her H-4 visa, which denied her the ability to work, make her own money or even have her own Social Security number.

 

“Initially it sounded like a nice break,” she said. “But when the reality hits you, it’s not a nice picture.”

Chawla’s first seven years in the U.S. were a blur of boredom. She’d cook, clean, sometimes take online classes and even write research papers she didn’t need to, just to keep her mind off the monotony.

“I was going crazy,” she said.

Things changed in 2015 for her and thousands of other H-4 visa holders — spouses of those with H-1B visas — when President Barack Obama created a work permit for those whose spouses are in line to get a green card. By February 2016, Chawla had gotten a job with a startup that let her work remotely from her home in San Jose or nearby coffee shops.

But now, experts say this rule is on the chopping block as the Trump administration seeks to curtail immigration in an attempt to protect American jobs.

Aside from opposition from the White House, there’s a lawsuit pending against the Department of Homeland Security that seeks to get rid of the work authorization.

The majority of H-4 visa holders are women like Chawla who came to the U.S. to keep their families together — and, perhaps, start their own path to permanent residency. They are often as educated as their spouses who are here on H-1B visas, which are heavily used in Silicon Valley to bring high-skilled foreigners into tech jobs.

But the lawsuit, originally filed by a group called Save Jobs USA in April 2015, argues that allowing H-4 visa holders to work threatens American jobs by increasing the pool of potential workers. In February, the Trump administration asked for a 60-day delay to give it “adequate time to consider the issues.”

In March, Immigration Voice, a group that advocates for immigrant rights, filed a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of two H-4 holders whose jobs and businesses were threatened by the loss of the work authorization.

In April, the administration asked for another delay, this time for 180 days. The case will be reconsidered in September.

Several women interviewed for this article said they dreaded the thought of going back to forced unemployment. Some said living on one income in the exorbitantly expensive Bay Area would lead to financial struggles for their families. Before the work authorization, some women had gone back to school, volunteered or raised children, but others said they spent time mourning the life they once had, when they weren’t reliant on their husbands for money.

“I was depressed,” said Rashi Bhatnagar, who started a Facebook group called H-4 Visa, A Curse, that has nearly 18,000 followers. “No one will give me back those years.”

And even with the employment permit, several women said it was difficult for them to break back into the workforce after years without jobs on their resumes.

Despite the lawsuit and visa holders’ fears, there has been no change yet to the state of the work authorization. And even if the Trump administration decides to unravel the rule, such an action would require a lengthy notice-and-comment period, a bureaucratic requirement that has stalled other efforts by the Trump administration to undo Obama-era rules.

“People just want to get up in the morning, take care of their family and do their job,” said Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice. “Hearing that the country doesn’t want people to work is simply wrong.”

Nevertheless, he believes the writing is on the wall for the rule.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been an outspoken critic of the H-4 visa work authorization, saying it threatens American jobs. President Trump, an ardent critic of the H-1B visa program generally, recently endorsed an immigration bill that would slash legal immigration to the U.S. in half, starting with family-based immigration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bhai]

[Staysafebro]

1 minute ago, Bhai said:

 

2 minutes ago, Bhai said:

 

2 minutes ago, Bhai said:

 

[Baangaru]

Opt ki good days vastundi. Next year neenu GC start chesthe epudu vastadi bhayya

[Vaampire]

2 minutes ago, Baangaru said:

Opt ki good days vastundi. Next year neenu GC start chesthe epudu vastadi bhayya

Nuvvu retire ayye lopala aithey vasthadi

[tom brady]

3 minutes ago, Baangaru said:

Opt ki good days vastundi. Next year neenu GC start chesthe epudu vastadi bhayya

Enduku ravali vayya OPTs ki good days? Training icchi support isthu job ki pampisthe pani ekkuva undi aythalledu ani bag sardukuni consultancy ki return aythunnaru..sare akkada ayina emaina peekunthunnare ante adi Ledu...taking too much for granted is current OPTs situation and that shd change. Jai Trump thatha 

[TampaChinnodu]

Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice. “Hearing that the country doesn’t want people to work is simply wrong.”

Nevertheless, he believes the writing is on the wall for the rule.

[TampaChinnodu]

Just now, TampaChinnodu said:

Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice. “Hearing that the country doesn’t want people to work is simply wrong.”

Nevertheless, he believes the writing is on the wall for the rule.

eedu enduku intha negative gaa matladuthunnadu ?

[Bhai]

19 minutes ago, Staysafebro said:

 

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Staysafebro said:

 

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Staysafebro said:

 

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, Staysafebro said:

 

 

 

 

[greensboro]

Just now, TampaChinnodu said:

eedu enduku intha negative gaa matladuthunnadu ?

vadu matladatledu. unna maata chepthunnadu.

h1b's ki jobs karuvu vachindi. eevala oka requirement vachindi email lo. informatica developer (only L1,L2,TN,H4,Citizen,GC holders can apply) ani undi. 

 

[samaja_varagamana]

8 minutes ago, tom brady said:

Enduku ravali vayya OPTs ki good days? Training icchi support isthu job ki pampisthe pani ekkuva undi aythalledu ani bag sardukuni consultancy ki return aythunnaru..sare akkada ayina emaina peekunthunnare ante adi Ledu...taking too much for granted is current OPTs situation and that shd change. Jai Trump thatha 

[tennisluvr]

12 hours ago, greensboro said:

Work permits for H-1B spouses could disappear, leaving lives in flux

By Trisha Thadani

August 22, 2017 Updated: August 22, 2017 10:08am

 

 

 

 

As soon as Karishma Chawla stepped off the plane in the U.S., any semblance of independence and purpose she once had suddenly felt stripped away.

In India, she’d been a successful businesswoman who owned and managed her own restaurant. She could live in America, thanks to her husband’s status as an H-1B visa holder. But she felt trapped by her H-4 visa, which denied her the ability to work, make her own money or even have her own Social Security number.

 

“Initially it sounded like a nice break,” she said. “But when the reality hits you, it’s not a nice picture.”

Chawla’s first seven years in the U.S. were a blur of boredom. She’d cook, clean, sometimes take online classes and even write research papers she didn’t need to, just to keep her mind off the monotony.

“I was going crazy,” she said.

Things changed in 2015 for her and thousands of other H-4 visa holders — spouses of those with H-1B visas — when President Barack Obama created a work permit for those whose spouses are in line to get a green card. By February 2016, Chawla had gotten a job with a startup that let her work remotely from her home in San Jose or nearby coffee shops.

But now, experts say this rule is on the chopping block as the Trump administration seeks to curtail immigration in an attempt to protect American jobs.

Aside from opposition from the White House, there’s a lawsuit pending against the Department of Homeland Security that seeks to get rid of the work authorization.

The majority of H-4 visa holders are women like Chawla who came to the U.S. to keep their families together — and, perhaps, start their own path to permanent residency. They are often as educated as their spouses who are here on H-1B visas, which are heavily used in Silicon Valley to bring high-skilled foreigners into tech jobs.

But the lawsuit, originally filed by a group called Save Jobs USA in April 2015, argues that allowing H-4 visa holders to work threatens American jobs by increasing the pool of potential workers. In February, the Trump administration asked for a 60-day delay to give it “adequate time to consider the issues.”

In March, Immigration Voice, a group that advocates for immigrant rights, filed a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of two H-4 holders whose jobs and businesses were threatened by the loss of the work authorization.

In April, the administration asked for another delay, this time for 180 days. The case will be reconsidered in September.

Several women interviewed for this article said they dreaded the thought of going back to forced unemployment. Some said living on one income in the exorbitantly expensive Bay Area would lead to financial struggles for their families. Before the work authorization, some women had gone back to school, volunteered or raised children, but others said they spent time mourning the life they once had, when they weren’t reliant on their husbands for money.

“I was depressed,” said Rashi Bhatnagar, who started a Facebook group called H-4 Visa, A Curse, that has nearly 18,000 followers. “No one will give me back those years.”

And even with the employment permit, several women said it was difficult for them to break back into the workforce after years without jobs on their resumes.

Despite the lawsuit and visa holders’ fears, there has been no change yet to the state of the work authorization. And even if the Trump administration decides to unravel the rule, such an action would require a lengthy notice-and-comment period, a bureaucratic requirement that has stalled other efforts by the Trump administration to undo Obama-era rules.

“People just want to get up in the morning, take care of their family and do their job,” said Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice. “Hearing that the country doesn’t want people to work is simply wrong.”

Nevertheless, he believes the writing is on the wall for the rule.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been an outspoken critic of the H-4 visa work authorization, saying it threatens American jobs. President Trump, an ardent critic of the H-1B visa program generally, recently endorsed an immigration bill that would slash legal immigration to the U.S. in half, starting with family-based immigration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which client allows people to work from a coffee shop, that too using an unsecured network. 

[tennisluvr]

Aman Kapoor gaade writing is clear on the wall annadante I guess it's time up for H4 EAD. September lo eppudundo idea unda hearing date evarikanna? 

[KATHRI]

3 minutes ago, tennisluvr said:

Which client allows people to work from a coffee shop, that too using an unsecured network. 

My client does... did you test yours?

[tennisluvr]

1 minute ago, KATHRI said:

My client does... did you test yours?

We are explicitly told never to use an unsecured network.