Employment authorization for H-1B dependents

 Posted on June 01, 2020 in family-based immigration

The United States provides many types of visas to foreign nationals. Some of these visas allow non-U.S. citizens to live and work legally in America.

When a person from another country wishes to have a family member from their home country join them in the U.S., the family member may also wish to work in the U.S.

H-1B visas for select occupations

As explained by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, people who have at least an undergraduate degree in specific fields may apply for and receive an H-1B visa, granting them the right to live and work in the U.S. Some of the recipients of H-1B visas may work in research or defense fields.

H-4 dependents and the Form I-765

A dependent spouse of a person with a valid H-1B visa may qualify to apply for the right to work in the United States. To do this, the applicant must complete and submit the Application for Employment Authorization, referred to as the Form I-765 by the U.S. ICE office. When requesting approval to work in the U.S. via a Form I-765, a person may also request that they be granted a Social Security number. The I-765 applicant’s relative with the H-1B visa may have been received an approved I-140.

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give people living in Texas who are citizens of country other than the United States an overview of how their family members may request the ability to work in the U.S.