Article Summary

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a petition challenging H-4 Employment Authorization Documents (EAD), thereby upholding the legality of work permits for H-1B spouses, which have been issued to over 200,000 individuals since 2015. While this decision offers immediate relief, immigration experts caution that potential future H-1B policy changes, such as increased fees or a wage-based lottery, could indirectly impact the number of new H-4 EAD applicants.

TNP AI: Key Insights

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the Save Jobs USA challenge provides significant legal certainty for the over 200,000 H-4 EAD holders, allowing them to continue their professional careers and contribute to the U.S. economy, a crucial relief for families navigating lengthy Green Card backlogs. This decision solidifies the 2015 policy that first granted H-4 spouses the ability to work, ending years of legal uncertainty.

However, the article correctly identifies that this legal victory does not insulate H-4 EADs from indirect impacts of future H-1B policy changes, particularly those aimed at reducing overall visa inflows. Employers and prospective H-1B visa holders must remain vigilant about proposals like higher H-1B filing fees or wage-based lottery systems, as these could diminish the pool of eligible H-1B spouses in the long term, potentially altering the landscape for new H-4 EAD applicants.