Google Support Work Authorisation For Spouses Of H-1B Visa Holders

Alphabet Inc’s Google has filed a legal brief to protect a work authorisation programme that allows the spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the US. Nearly 40 companies including Apple, Amazon, Twitter and Microsoft back the work authorization in the US for spouses of H1B visa holders.

During Donald Trump’s Presidency, his administration had proposed to end the issuing of work authorisation (H-4 EAD) for certain spouses of high-skilled talent who came to the US on H-1B as part of his anti-immigration policy. An H4 visa is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to the immediate family members such as spouse and children under 21 yrs of H1B holders.

Of late, the US President Joe Biden has permitted dependents of H-1B visa holders to continue working in the country. This whole development would bring in a sigh of relief to lakhs of Indian nationals who had moved to the US along with their spouses. “

We are leading an amicus brief with over 40 companies and organisations to preserve and protect the H-4 EAD programme. This builds on an amicus brief we recently joined in support of a lawsuit filed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association to expedite the delayed processing time of H-4 work authorizations,” said Google in a statement while leading a determined effort in the programme.

Many big companies across the tech industry, who voiced in the past for increased immigration rights have now submitted an amicus brief Friday in a case known as Save Jobs USA v. Department of Homeland Security. Tech companies that signed onto the amicus brief include Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Electronic Arts, eBay, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, PayPal, Reddit, StubHub and Twitter.

Opposing a lawsuit that seeks to stop over 90K spouses of high skilled visa workers from having jobs in the country, the brief states that women would be affected out of proportion, if the rule were invalidated (due to high percentage of women with H4 visas). The companies contended that harm to U.S. workers is “minimal.” “Indeed, the estimated job losses to domestic workers from the program are almost exactly cancelled out by the 6,800 jobs created by the H-4 entrepreneurs who have founded companies and employ American workers,” they wrote.

Google CEO tweeted, “Google is proud to support our nation’s immigrants. We joined 30 other companies to protect the H-4 EAD program which spurs innovation creates jobs and opportunities, and helps families”.