One lakh work authorizations seen for H-1B visa holders' spouses, children in US

The bill also proposes to increase lawful pathways to enter the US by raising the cap on the number of immigrant visas available annually by adding 2.5 lakh immigrant visas over 5 years (50,000 per year).

The Biden-Harris Administration in the United States has announced a bipartisan agreement in the Senate that would expedite access to work authorization for migrants among other proposed changes.

The bill provides work authorization to approximately 25,000 K-1, K-2, and K-3 non-immigrant visa holders (fiance or spouse and children of US citizens) per year, and about 1 lakh H-4 spouses and children of certain H-1B non-immigrant visa holders who have completed immigrant petitions (temporary skilled workers) per year, according to a press statement issued by the White House on February 4.

The bill also proposes to increase lawful pathways to enter the US by raising the cap on the number of immigrant visas available annually by adding 2.5 lakh immigrant visas over 5 years (50,000 per year). 1.6 lakh of these visas will be family-based, and the other 90,000 will be employment-based, the statement added.

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These additional immigrant visas expand lawful pathways to the US, prioritising family reunification and reducing the time families have to spend apart and get US businesses to access to additional workers, the statement by the Biden-Harris Administration said.

Further, the agreement provides relief to over 2.5 lakh individuals who came to the US as children on their parents’ work visas. These individuals have resided lawfully in the US since they were children and have established lives here in the US but have since “aged out” of continuing to receive lawful status through their parents and have no other means of lawfully remaining in the country with their families.

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Noncitizens who lived lawfully in the United States as dependent children of an employment-based nonimmigrant for at least 8 years before turning 21 will be eligible to remain temporarily in the United States with work authorization.

In support of family unity, the bill makes clear that certain noncitizens can travel to the United States on a temporary visitor (B) visa to visit their family members.