The US Immigration Service will start accepting applications for H4 status from spouses on May 26th.

The Director of the US Immigration Bureau recently announced that H4 spouses of holders of H 1B who have submitted professional immigration applications will be allowed to work legally in the United States, and the Immigration Bureau will accept applications from May 26th.

Allowing H4 spouses to work legally in the United States is an important measure in the immigration reform announced by President Obama last June 165438+ 10. The spouse of the holder of H 1B will get a work permit, which will also greatly promote the American economy and employment, and transform and improve the American immigration system. The spouse of the holder of H 1B must meet the following conditions in order to apply: the holder of H 1B has passed the I- 140 professional immigration green card qualification application, and the H4 spouse is the main beneficiary; Or the holder of H 1B has been in the extension stage after 6 years of h1b.

For the above conditions, simply speaking, the holder of H 1B has used up all his six years of working time (the longest holding time of H 1B in the United States is six years) and is now applying for an extension, or the employer of H 1B has agreed to apply for a green card for him, and has submitted I- 140 (.

For H4 spouses, they can not only work legally after obtaining a work permit, but also get a social security number (SSN). In this way, H4 holders can apply for credit cards, accumulate credit records, keep tax returns every year, and even borrow money to buy a house or a car. In addition, spouses with H4 status are free to change jobs or set up and run their own companies without being restricted by their employers. To some extent, this is even more free than the holder of H 1B: the holder of H 1B can't change jobs at will while waiting for the green card, otherwise he needs to re-submit a green card application, and H4 spouse can change jobs at will after having a work permit.

The Immigration Bureau predicts that there will be as many as 179600 eligible H4 spouses, and about 55000 will meet the application conditions every year in the future. The Immigration Department reminds all H4 holders who plan to apply that the formal application will be opened on May 26th, and the Immigration Department will not accept the application materials submitted in advance.