Obama administration allowed Employment Authorization for dependents of H-1B visa holders who applied and were chosen for permanent residency and were stuck in the backlogs. Many of these people - women, mostly - have been unable to participate meaningfully in the economy of many years. What is the problem with allowing them to work while they wait for their turn to be permanent residents?

< What is the problem with allowing them to work while they wait for their turn to be permanent residents? Why have immigration quotas. Why do you have to stand in line at Starbucks? You can go straight to the counter and holler. Happens all the time in India right ? Why stand in line at all.

The original idea of the H1-B Visa was these were high paying jobs where the spouse wouldn't need to work. It appears the pay rate has not kept with with inflation and/or cost of living.

Apologies for bringing up the obvious.

But just because "the spouse" doesn't need to work, doesn't mean they don't want to work.

"The spouse" shouldn't be denied the right to work just because their partner has an H1-B.

For shame.

They are not denied the right to work, but they are not given the right by default. The spouse can still apply to work via other means, but should not be given a work Visa by default. These restrictions on spouses are the same of every other country I have heard of, the US is the only one that had a special Visa just for spouses.

Mr Dork:

Given vs denied is a weird dichotomy. If you read the US constitution, you will see how it's about re-affirming rights rather than giving them.

Anyway. Needing to apply to work still admits that the default case is not being able to work.

> The original idea of the H1-B Visa was these were high paying jobs where the spouse wouldn't need to work.

Wow, that's a bit regressive view that high earning people must marry unaspirational spouses.

Nothing is preventing spouses from applying for H1B or other Visas, they key debate with the H-4 Visa is the spouses needed to work to afford to live in the areas. This just highlights the absurdity of the income levels in the H1B program. H1B is a temporary work Visa, everyone that has applied should understand there might be restrictions for yourself or your dependents until your family has a green card.

Expanding H1B coverage to allow spouses to live and work is just basic human decency.