What is the H-4 visa? When highly-skilled immigrants come to the United States for work, it is often on a visa called H-1B. President Barack Obama’s administration introduced an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) in 2015 for which H-4 visa holders who are on the road to becoming permanent residents may apply. As of 2018, almost 170,000 EADs have been issued to H-4 visa holders. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service says that more than 160,000 employment authorization documents have been granted to H-4 visa holders between 2015 and 2018.

More than 100,000 Indian women in the United States, many living in the Greater Houston area, stand to lose the ability to work if President Donald Trump’s administration moves forward with a plan to do away with their work authorization. One former Houston resident says just the threat of losing her work authorization made it difficult for her to find an employer willing to hire her. Data source: USCISThere was some opposition to allowing H-4 visa holders to work. Save Jobs USA claimed if H-4 visa holders were allowed to work, American workers, who already face competition from H-1B workers, would also face competition from H-4 visa holders as well. Since the 2017 executive order, DHS has repeatedly noted its intent to change the rule that allows H-4 visa holders to work.