US court supports employment rights for spouses of visa holders

The decision affirms the legality of the Obama-era policy and ensures continued employment opportunities for thousands of foreign workers' partners.

A federal appeals court has that grants work authorisation to spouses of H-1B visa holders, dismissing a challenge brought by a group representing US-born tech workers.

The decision affirms the legality of the Obama-era policy and ensures continued employment opportunities for thousands of foreign workers' partners.

The decision represents a triumph for the technology sector, occurring in the face of a recent Supreme Court ruling that has limited the authority of federal agencies.

The fight over work permission for people on H-4 visas has gone on for a while, changing hands between different governments. This issue has faced a bunch of legal fights and changes in rules over time. But, a new decision from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has backed up earlier rulings that agreed with the Department of Homeland Security's position on this.

“Because Save Jobs USA has not meaningfully distinguished this case from that binding precedent, we affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment,” as per Judge Justin R. Walker statement reported by Bloomberg.

"The statutory text unambiguously authorises the challenged rule, which supports the regulation allowing H-1B visa holders' spouses to work,” The DC Circuit ruling said.

Big tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft backed the rule, saying it helps keep the best people by making it easier for H-1B workers to get permanent residency. The three-judge group also had Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Robert L. Wilkins on board with the decision.