USCIS Letter Targets H-4 Employment Authorization

4/30/2018 

On April 4, 2018, USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna wrote a letter to Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), summarizing its efforts to tighten scrutiny on nonimmigrant visas, as well as mentioning its intention to propose additional regulatory changes in the future.

In the letter, Director Cissna stated his intention to end employment authorization eligibility for H-4 dependent spouses. This intention was also announced earlier in the semiannual regulatory agenda of the Department of Homeland Security. Director Cissna also announced USCIS' intention to propose regulations to establish an electronic registration program for nonimmigrant visa petitions subject to numerical limitations, such as the H-1B Cap, and its intention to remove the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER) through a new proposed rule, due to the court order which invalidated the previous IER delay rule in December 2017.  Director Cissna noted that while the IER is still in effect, USCIS has not yet approved any parole requests under the rule.

Please contact your Goel & Anderson attorney if you have any questions.