By Sharanya Gopinathan
Several news outlets reported yesterday on the panic that holders of the H1B temporary work visa to the United States are feeling after a draft of a proposed executive order decreeing a crackdown on such visas was leaked by news agencies. Outlets like Buzzfeed and CNN even stylishly reported that India was “freaking out” over the proposed changes. The changes are thought to include, among others, a doubling of the minimum salary required for H1B visa to $130,000 and making a US Masters degree mandatory for H1B visa holders.
What many outlets forgot to mention though, was the impact the proposed executive order might have on holders of the H4 visa, issued to spouses of H1B visa holders. Until very recently, those on the H4 visa weren’t allowed work in the United States, which naturally meant that they were “excluded from the labour market, and that their legal and financial status was tied to that of their spouses’ immigration status”. Ninety percent of H4 visa holders are women, often highly educated and skilled spouses of employees in the IT sector. Being on the H4 visa meant that these women were virtually imprisoned, and it was after extensive coverage of their position that in May 2015, H4 visa holders were finally allowed to apply for Employment Authorization Documents to work in the United States.
If the word on the street is true though, the proposed visa crackdown could mean that H4 visa holders (80 percent of whom are Indian) will have their much sought-after right to work in the United States heavily curtailed or removed entirely, reverting them to living under a highly restrictive visa regime. As seems to be the case with anything that Donald Trump does now, we just have to hold our breath, hope for the best and expect the absolute worst.