Trump administration has plans to wipe out work permits for H-1B spouses
By Trisha Thadani November 17, 2017 Updated: November 17, 2017 6:51pm
The Trump administration plans to stop granting work permits to spouses of H-1B holders, overturning a 2015 rule and affecting thousands of foreigners currently in the United States, according to sources who have spoken to The Chronicle about the move.
About 130,000 spouses and children of H-1B visa holders came to the U.S. on H-4 visas last year, a number that has been steadily increasing since 2012. Before President Barack Obama created a work permit for certain H-4 visa holders in 2015, these foreigners — often women — were not allowed to hold a job here or be issued a Social Security number.
From October 2015 to September 2016, 41,526 people received authorization to work under the program. Complete figures for the most recent fiscal year, which ended in September, are not yet available.
The impact on the Bay Area could be outsized. Silicon Valley heavily relies on H-1B visa holders to staff technical positions; Facebook has so many it is deemed “dependent” on the visa by the government. Many brought spouses with them on H-4 visas. In recent years, those spouses have been able to seek work — a key economic support in a region where it’s difficult for families to get by on one salary.
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