H4 Visa

The U.S. Department of State is expanding its visa screening procedures, requiring social media vetting for additional non-immigrant visa applicants starting March 30, 2026. This enhanced security measure now includes categories like A-3, G-5, C-3, H-3, K, Q, R, S, T, and U visas. Applicants are urged to make their social media privacy settings public for this comprehensive background check.

H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B foreign workers. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa through which many Indians workers are employed in US companies. It allows the US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. It is the most sought-after visa among Indian IT professionals.

US President Donald Trump has been attempting to stop work permits for spouses of those on H-1B visas. It won’t be easy. But were he to succeed, the overwhelming impact would be on Indian women. Also, Cato Institute estimates it would contract the US economy by at least $7.5 billion annually. Nearly 90% of H-4 workers are highly paid women from India with college degrees.

Senators Kamala Harris from California and Kirsten Gillibrand from New York wrote to homeland security secretary and USCIS director and urged them to not to go ahead with the decision of revoking authorisation to immigrants on H-4 visas, a majority of who are Indian-Americans, as doing so would impact about 100,000 women.

H-4 visas are issued only to very close or immediate family members of the H-1B visa holders. It includes the employee's spouse and children less than 21 years of age.

A group of 60 US lawmakers have urged President-elect Joe Biden to revoke a Trump administration policy and extend the validity of work authorisation documents for h4 visa holders, who are spouses of those possessing H-1B visas, with majority being highly-skilled Indian women.

A US court has asked for a joint status report on the prospects of work authorisation for h4 visas, in view of the decision of the Biden administration to withdraw the move of Trump-era to rescind work authorisation to certain categories of spouses of foreign professional on H-1B visa.

H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. This week, the Trump administration announced plans to restrict work authorisation of certain H-4 visa holders. Now, two influential US lawmakers have introduced legislation in the House of Representatives against the overturn.

A US Embassy tweet on H-1B and H-4 visa changes triggered strong reactions in India. Many saw it as a sign of growing friction between the US and India. The tweet announced expanded online reviews and addressed program abuse. Indians, heavily reliant on these visas, felt it signalled increased scrutiny amid existing immigration backlogs. The response highlighted online cross-cultural tensions.

The move to rescind work authorisation to certain categories of H-4 visa holders is in final stages, the Trump administration has told a US court.

A bipartisan bill – the H-4 Work Authorization Act has been announced by Congresswomen Carolyn Bourdeaux and Maria Elvira Salazar. The bill would allow H-4 visa holders to be automatically granted their work authorization without needing to submit a ‘Form I-765’, Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application, which can take months to be approved, explains an official statement.

Amid the US plan to scrap a rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work legally in the country, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said the government would make all efforts to persuade the Trump administration against such a move.

To mitigate the difficulties arising owing decades-long green-card backlog for those immigrants from certain countries, such as India, the Obama administration had introduced the EAD program in 2015. This enables spouses of certain categories of H-1B visa holders (such as those on track for a green card) to apply for an EAD, which enables them to work.