US Faces Pressure To Review H-1B Policy!

A study has claimed that the US economy can reap significant benefits and attract more workers in the global competition if it expands the current work eligibility rules for the spouses of H-1B visa holders.

According to the NFAP (National Foundation for American Policy), US H-1B visa rules are more restrictive than neighboring Canada. Under current circumstances, the US might start losing talented foreigners, essentially those married to skilled workers, to Canada if policy changes still need to be made.

To defend its suggestions, the study presented new estimates of the number and characteristics of the spouses of skilled temporary foreign workers in the United States. It found that most H-1B visa holders are married to another skilled professional, but only a fraction of their spouses are eligible to work.

Under the current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation, the spouses of H1-B visa holders in the queue or on a permanent visa can apply to work. At the same time, they wait for their green card. It said that a policy change allowing all spouses of H-1B visa holders to work would have significant economic potential.

The report mentioned that an H-4 spouse might only apply for EAD after their H-1B spouse is waiting for a permanent visa. That typically only occurs once the H-1B has worked in the United States for several years.

“The number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased by over 115% between 2016 and 2020 and 2021”.

In addition, the number of Indian students attending Canadian colleges and universities increased by 182% between 2016 and 2019 while declining during the same period in graduate-level programs in science and engineering at US universities.