The U.S. immigration system can be a complicated sphere to navigate with lots of legal jargon and terms. In order to help readers follow KPRC 2′s coverage, here is a glossary of the most-used terms in the Living in Limbo series. The H-1BH-4 visa — Dependent visa given to spouses and dependent children of H-1B workers. F-1 visa — Visa given to people coming to the United States to studyEAD — Employment Authorization Document. EADs are available to multiple visa categories including some people on the H-4 visaOPT — Optional Practical Training.

HOUSTON – Living in limbo is a continued in-depth series by KPRC 2 that delves into the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of Indian women in the United States who stand to lose work authorization if President Donald Trump’s administration changes one rule. As a journalist in Texas she has covered culture and immigration which are both issues that are of deep importance to her. Many of the Houstonians Kamath met in the Indian community were facing the possibility of losing the ability to work. One of the key challenges Kamath faced during her reporting was finding dissenting voices that believe work authorization for H-4 visa holders should be revoked. Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration system

Lawmakers’ lettersOne bipartisan letter, sent in May 2018, was signed by 132 U.S. Representatives and was among the larger concerted efforts by Members of Congress to stop work authorization from being revoked. Moreover, the majority of H-4 spouses are women, and their inability to work widens an already existing gender inequality gap,” the representatives wrote. Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs sent DHS a letter in March 2018. “Other countries allow these valuable professionals to work, so revoking their U.S. work authorization will likely cause highly-skilled immigrants to take their skills to competitors outside the United States,” the group wrote.

The duration of an H-1B visa classification is typically three years but that can be extended to a maximum of six years. Here’s a basic quiz to determine whether you or your spouse could get an H-1B visa to live and work in the U.S.It’s important to note that this quiz is a basic one and there may be numerous reasons for someone to be awarded or not awarded an H-1B visa. What about qualifying for the H-4 visa? The H-4 visa is granted to the dependents of someone on an H-1B visa. The H-4 visa is more restricted and under that visa status, a person may study but not work.

There was perhaps only one other candidate vying for the same seat would truly understand the plight of H-4 visa holders on an intimate level. Reddy’s wife was briefly on the H-4 visa herself when they first got married. There were also several letters sent to the Department of Homeland Security by U.S. lawmakers from around the country asking that the EAD for H-4 visa holders not be revoked. “We urge you to maintain the rule allowing certain H-4 spouses work authorization.”KPRC (KPRC)Living in limboQUIZ: Could you get an H-1B or H-4 visa to live and work in the US? Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story

His new bride had no choice but to apply for the dependent H-4 visa so they could be together. Meanwhile, they have to find an employer willing to sponsor their H-1B visa so they can then switch their visa status to one that would allow them to continue working. American employers were unwilling to hire her as they’d also have to sponsor her work visa. For one of Saisha’s friends, the frustration of being on an H-4 visa put a strain on her marriage. Industry leaders worry that workers on an H-1B visa would possibly choose to move out of the U.S. if their spouses were blocked from working.

HOUSTON – Living in limbo is a continued in-depth series by KPRC 2 that delves into the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of Indian women in the United States who stand to lose work authorization if President Donald Trump’s administration changes one rule. After a 2017 edict from President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to remove the employment authorization of certain H-4 visa holders. Eschoo co-authored the H-4 Employment Protection Act 2018 — legislation that aims to protect work authorization for H-4 visa holders. The benefit-cost analysis was conducted based on the answers provided to a survey by 4,708 people currently under the H-4 visa status. Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story

However, her’s was an even tougher ordeal as she had to find an employer willing to sponsor her H-1B visa as well. This period is when a new employer prepares and files the complicated paperwork required for an H-1B visa application. But before Kalyani’s Houston-based employer could file her H-1B visa petition, the situation her family life rapidly changed. By then, employers were awash with rumors that work authorization for H-4 visa holders was going to be revoked. Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story

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.