US Senate: A bipartisan agreement, supported by the White House, offers significant relief to H-1B visa holders and their families. The National Security Agreement, announced on Sunday, introduces automatic work authorization for around 100K H-4 visa holders, spouses, and children of certain H-1B visa holders.
US Senate Plans
In addition to addressing concerns for approximately 250K aged-out children of H-1B visa holders, the agreement emphasizes immigration system reform to enhance national security, border security, fair treatment, and preservation of legal immigration, as highlighted by US President Joe Biden.
The bill includes ageing-out protection for children of long-term H-1B visa holders, provided they have maintained H-4 status for eight years. It also allocates an additional 18K employment-based green cards annually for the next five years, with country caps, totalling 158K employment-based green cards per year.
Furthermore, the bill grants work authorization to asylum seekers upon receiving positive protection screening determinations, allowing them to support themselves and their families sooner than the current 180-day waiting period.
It raises the cap on immigrant visas by adding 250K over five years, prioritizing family reunification and expanding access to workers for US businesses. The bill extends relief to individuals, primarily from India, who arrived in the US as children on their parents’ work visas.
These individuals, having lawfully resided in the US since childhood, can temporarily remain in the country with work authorization, reflecting the bill’s comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
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