The Department of Homeland Security announced a proposal recently that will allow the dependant spouses of those who hold H-1B US visas to gain employment while they are waiting for their green card, providing they hold an H-4 visa. The news has come as a welcome surprise to many of the Asian couples who are living in the United States, with The Global Times claiming that over 50,000 India natives that reside in the US and hold an H-4 visa are currently without a job.
“It will be a boon especially for Indian women in the US,” says H-4 visa holder Mrs. Prasad, who declined to be identified by her first name. “I have been here nearly three years after my marriage to a software engineer in a leading IT consultancy firm in California. My H-4 visa does not allow me to take up employment. And being jobless is depressing, boring and makes me feel excluded.”
Many immigrants currently in the exact same circumstances as Mrs. Prasad suffer from depression and a number of other emotional issues because they are unable to contribute to society and are located far away from family and friends.
There is set to be more good news for people from China wanting to visit the United States, with the US Embassy in China set to implement a new fee payment, document delivery, and visa appointment system during March that will streamline the visa application process.