The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued that the American technology workers, who had challenged the 2015 ruling on giving work permits to H-4 visa-holders, have not been irreparably harmed by such work authorisation.

WASHINGTON: The US government has made a U-turn in its plan to review and possibly revoke what is known as the H-4 employment authorisation document (EAD), which allowed spouses of H-1B visa holders to legally work in the country. Indian nationals account for over two-thirds of H-1B visa holders in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security has appealed to a US district court not to do away with an earlier Obama-era law that allowed spouses of H1-B visa holders to be employed locally. It argued that this did not take away jobs from American nationals.

The Department’s latest submission is in response to a 2015 lawsuit filed by Save Jobs USA, an advocacy group, which had argued that the H4 EAD harmed their members who are American technology workers. The DHS, however, countered saying that Save Jobs USA members had not been ‘irreparably harmed’ by giving work permits to H-4 visa holders.

“Save Jobs’s claim of irreparable harm relies on the H-4 Rule eliminating or significantly reducing employment opportunities, meaning that the number of available information-technology jobs would significantly decline due to the H-4 Rule. But, this relationship has not been shown to be “certain” and “actual,” rather than merely “theoretical”,” the Department said.

Save Jobs USA was set up by former employees of Southern California Edison, who claim that they lost their jobs to H-1B visa holders.

Not all jobs are created equal!
http://www.myvisajobs.com

Note: If you are filing Form I-765 with another form type, such as Form I-539, please file both forms at the location specified by the other form. The below addresses should be used when Form I-765 is not being submitted with another form.

E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or a text message that your Form I-765 has been accepted at a USCIS Lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the first page of your application.

Beginning May 26, 2015, certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants can file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, as long as the H-1B nonimmigrant has already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. Specifically, H-4 dependent spouses may apply for employment authorization if the H-1B nonimmigrant:

    1. Is the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker; or

    2. Has been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act     (AC21). AC21 permits H-1B nonimmigrants seeking lawful permanent residence to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year limit on their H-1B status.

The Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses final rule (H-4 rule), effective on May 26, 2015, seeks to support the goals of attracting and retaining highly skilled foreign workers and minimizing the disruption to U.S. businesses resulting from H-1B nonimmigrants who choose not to remain in the United States and pursue LPR status.

Although USCIS published the H-4 notice of proposed rulemaking in May 2014, finalizing it was part of the executive actions on immigration that President Obama announced in November 2014. Extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants is one of the initiatives to modernize, improve and clarify visa programs to grow the U.S. economy and create jobs.

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require a bachelor’s or higher degree in a specific specialty that is directly related to the H-1B position. In addition to specialty occupation workers, the H-1B classification applies to individuals performing services related to a Department of Defense cooperative research and development project or coproduction project, and to individuals performing services of distinguished merit and ability in the field of fashion modeling.

On  24 May, 2015, Judge Tanya Chutkan of the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia denied the plaintfiff's motion for preliminary injunction against H-4 EAD rule. The USCIS can comfortably implement the H-4 EAD program beginning from May 26, 2015.  

Read Judge's Denial Opinion

Technology workers who say they lost their jobs to immigrant workers lost their bid to halt President Obama’s latest guest-worker program after a court ruled Sunday evening that they couldn’t prove the new workers would specifically compete with them.

Federal District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan’s ruling means Mr. Obama’s controversial program can go into effect Tuesday as planned. 

Under the program, legal guest-workers’ spouses, who now are generally barred from working, will be allowed to apply for work permits, giving them the chance to win jobs.

Judge Chutkan wrote in the 12-page ruling that the damage to the technology workers, organized as Save Jobs USA, was “highly speculative.” 

“Save Jobs does not explain how many IT jobs may be taken by H-4 visa holders, how many of those jobs its members may have sought themselves, what pay or benefits its members risk losing while the case is pending, or what other harm its members may face,” the judge wrote. “The court is left to speculate as to the magnitude of the injury, and speculation is not enough to turn economic loss into irreparable harm.”

The H-4 visa is given to dependents of H-1B visa holders, who are sought-after high-skilled workers. Immigrant rights advocates have long sought the change, arguing that it’s unfair to restrict legal workers’ spouses from also getting jobs.

The Obama administration said allowing the spouses to work will help entice the best H-1B applicants from around the world. Officials expect about 179,000 people to be eligible the first year, and 55,000 a year after that.

Read Judge's Denial Opinion

Release Date: February 24, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez announced today that, effective May 26, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. DHS amended the regulations to allow these H-4 dependent spouses to accept employment in the United States.

Finalizing the H-4 employment eligibility was an important element of the immigration executive actions President Obama announced in November 2014. Extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants is one of several initiatives underway to modernize, improve and clarify visa programs to grow the U.S. economy and create jobs. 

“Allowing the spouses of these visa holders to legally work in the United States makes perfect sense,” Rodríguez said. “It helps U.S. businesses keep their highly skilled workers by increasing the chances these workers will choose to stay in this country during the transition from temporary workers to permanent residents. It also provides more economic stability and better quality of life for the affected families.”

Eligible individuals include certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who: 

• Are the principal beneficiaries of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker; or
• Have been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. The Act permits H-1B nonimmigrants seeking lawful permanent residence to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year limit on their H-1B status.

DHS expects this change will reduce the economic burdens and personal stresses H-1B nonimmigrants and their families may experience during the transition from nonimmigrant to lawful permanent resident status, and facilitate their integration into American society. As such, the change should reduce certain disincentives that currently lead H-1B nonimmigrants to abandon efforts to remain in the United States while seeking lawful permanent residence, which will minimize disruptions to U.S. businesses employing them. The change should also support the U.S. economy because the contributions H-1B nonimmigrants make to entrepreneurship and science help promote economic growth and job creation. The rule also will bring U.S. immigration policies more in line with those laws of other countries that compete to attract similar highly skilled workers.

Under the rule, eligible H-4 dependent spouses must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with supporting evidence and the required $380 fee in order to obtain employment authorization and receive a Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD). USCIS will begin accepting applications on May 26, 2015. Once USCIS approves the Form I-765 and the H-4 dependent spouse receives an EAD, he or she may begin working in the United States.

USCIS estimates the number of individuals eligible to apply for employment authorization under this rule could be as high as 179,600 in the first year and 55,000 annually in subsequent years. USCIS reminds those potentially eligible that this rule is not considered effective until May 26, 2015. Individuals should not submit an application to USCIS before the effective date, and should avoid anyone who offers to assist in submitting an application to USCIS before the effective date.

Last Reviewed/Updated: 02/24/2015

We reported last year that Department of Homeland Security proposed to extend work authorization to H-4 Visa holders. It is estimated that approximately 97,000 H-1B spouses will be eligible under this new rule within the first year and then over 30,000 annually after that. 

On February 13, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved on emergency bases the revised I-765 form(Application for Employment Authorization), adding H-4 applicants. Once the Final Rule becomes effective, H-4 visa holders could use this form to apply for work authorization. view final rule. 

There are 9 steps in the rule making process, and we have finally reached step 8: 

Step 1: Initiating Events 
Step 2: Determination whether a Rule is Needed 
Step 3: Preparation of Proposed Rule 
Step 4: OMB Review of Proposed Rule (completed on 05/07/2014) 
Step 5: Publication of Proposed Rule (completed on 05/12/2014) 
Step 6: Public Comments-(completed on 07/11/2014) 
Step 7: Preparation of Final Rule, Interim Final Rule or Direct Final Rule (completed on 02/05/2015) 
Step 8: OMB Review of Final Rule, Interim Final Rule or Direct Final Rule (In Process) 
Step 9: Publication of Final Rule, Interim Final Rule or Direct Final Rule 

If you want to know more about H-1B visa and H-4 visa work authorization, please visit Work Visa section of myvisajobs.com