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Homeland Security Puts H-4 EAD End Proposal on 2026 Agenda

9/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security placed a proposal to end H-4 work permits on its 2026 agenda.
The rule would remove category (c)(26) employment authorization for qualifying H-4 spouses.
Eligibility would then require an approved I-140 or an AC21 extension for the H-1B holder.
More than one million Indian spouses have used H-4 EAD since 2015 and could lose it under the proposal.

History

Historical Context

The Immigration Act of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush on November 29, 1990 and introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy, created the H-1B visa with an annual cap of 65,000 and established H-4 dependent status permitting work authorization. After the 2015 rule granting H-4 EADs, over one million Indian spouses rely on them; DHS now proposes ending the permits, threatening that skilled labor pipeline.

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Story summary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security placed a proposal to end H-4 work permits on its 2026 agenda.
The rule would remove category (c)(26) employment authorization for qualifying H-4 spouses.
Eligibility would then require an approved I-140 or an AC21 extension for the H-1B holder.
More than one million Indian spouses have used H-4 EAD since 2015 and could lose it under the proposal.

1 / 2