{
  "id": 4818275,
  "title": "US may end work permits for H-1B dependent spouses. Why Indians face biggest hit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/us-may-end-work-permits-for-h-1b-dependent-spouses-why-indians-face",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T08:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/us-may-end-work-permits-for-h-1b-dependent-spouses-why-indians-face-biggest-hit-101788243354029.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A proposal from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could significantly affect families of H-1B workers, especially spouses of H-4 dependents who rely on H-4 employment authorization to work in the country. The DHS has reintroduced a regulatory proposal aimed at removing H-4 dependent spouses from the list of categories eligible for employment authorization. This move would essentially reverse a 2015 policy that permitted qualifying H-4 spouses to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The proposal is currently in the early stages of the federal rulemaking process and does not indicate that H-4 work permits have been terminated. Should the change be implemented, it would require approval through the federal rulemaking process before becoming effective. Under existing rules, certain spouses of H-1B workers can apply for employment authorization through an H-4 EAD. Eligibility depends on the H-1B worker being the beneficiary of an approved Form I-140 or having received specific H-1B extensions beyond the typical six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act. The DHS introduced the H-4 EAD rule in 2015, extending employment authorization to specific H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants pursuing employment-based permanent residence. The potential impact on Indian families is substantial, as Indian nationals have constituted the vast majority of H-4 EAD approvals since the program's inception. In the years following the rule's introduction, 93% of H-4 Employment Authorization Document approvals went to Indian nationals, with 94% of those approvals being women. Indians also constitute the greatest beneficiaries of the H-1B system, accounting for over 70% of H-1B workers in fiscal year 2025. Any changes to the program would have a substantial impact on Indian families in the U.S. The proposed modification would essentially undo the 2015 policy and eliminate H-4 spouses as a class of individuals eligible for employment authorization. This is not the first time the policy has been targeted; during Donald Trump's first administration, DHS pursued a similar proposal to terminate employment authorization for certain H-4 spouses, which was later abandoned. The DHS has now placed the H-4 EAD rescission proposal on its 2026 regulatory agenda as a \"Long-Term Action,\" reigniting a long-standing policy debate that has affected H-1B families for years. For those with valid H-4 EADs, the current regulatory proposal does not immediately eliminate employment authorization. The agency would first need to publish a formal proposed rule, allow public comments, and consider those comments before issuing a final regulation.",
  "summary": "The potential impact on Indian families is significant because Indian nationals have accounted for the overwhelming majority of H-4 EAD approvals.",
  "key_points": [
    "DHS proposes ending H-4 dependent spouses' work permits.",
    "Indian spouses face biggest impact due to high approval rates.",
    "Proposal still in early federal rulemaking stages."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}