USCIS Director León Rodriguez
announced that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is complete with the
process of H4 Visa EAD rule process, which has been going on since early last
year, and is extending the employment authorization eligibility for certain H4
visa holders, who are in the journey of Green Card or PERM process. There have
been no last minute amendments to the rule; the original rule that was proposed
mid last year stays intact. Below is the summary of the official press
release by USCIS and the process on how and when to apply for the EAD card for
H4 visa holder, including documents, next steps.
Summary of the Official Press Release
by USCIS on H4 Visa EAD Rule
§ No changes in the
original proposed EAD rule for H4 visa holders. It is as below.
§ DHS is extending
the employment authorization to work in US for certain H4 Visa holders, who
fall under one of the below two categories:
1.
Have an approved I-140, which is the immigration petition for foreign
citizens to get Green Card or Permanent Residency in USA.
2.
Have H1B visa status extended for the spouse beyond 6 years under AC21
Act, which allows H1B holders seeking Green Card to work and stay in USA beyond
6 years, if their Green Card or Permanent Residency Application is Pending.
§ DHS expects that
this new rule will help many of families from their economic burdens and
personal stress during their transition period from non-immigrant to permanent
residents or green card holders.
§ This new rule will
give eligibility for about 179,600 H4 visa holders in the first year and then
estimated 55,000 annually from next year.
§ USCIS expects that
this rule will help US businesses from disruptions and to retain high skilled
workers by providing more options for their spouses to work during their
transition from non-immigrant to permanent residents or green card holders in
USA.
How to Apply for EAD for H4 Visa
holder under this new rule ? What is the process?
It is pretty straight forward. All
the H4 Visa holders, who qualify for this need to do is :
§ File form
I-765 with USCIS, which is the Application for Employment
Authorization along with supporting documentation and respective fee. The
revised form I-765 was published on May 22nd, make
sure you use that. You can verify the latest form by checking the edition date
in the bottom 02/13/15 ( check above screenshot). Details are listed
below.
What is the Fee for EAD Application
for H4 Visa holders? Whom to Pay to?
It is $380 USD. You need
to include the required fee of $380 USD along with your I-765 Form and
supporting documentation.
§ You can submit a
check or money order that is drawn on a bank that is located in USA and payable
in USD.
§ The check or money
order should be payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security”.
DO NOT use short forms like DHS or USDHS.
What are the documents required for
EAD Application for H4 Visa holders?
All you need to is to provide
supporting evidence to prove that you are eligible for this EAD under the newly
passed rule. Typical documents that can be included to prove your eligibility
are like below.
§ Marriage
certificate that proves that H4 visa holder is spouse of H1B Visa holder
§ H4 visa holder’s
I-94 copy, which can be printed from DHS CBP website, indicating
your current status in USA
§ H4 Spouse’s
Approved H1B Visa Approval notice copy
§ Approved I-140 Copy
or Approved copy of H1B Visa under AC21
§ I-94 Copy of the
Spouse, who is on H1B Visa
§ Copies of Passport
of H4 visa holder and H1 visa holder.
§ Two copies of color
passport photos of dimensions two by two inches. Typically with white
background, this will be used for card production.
§ Government issued
Identification documents of H4 visa holder like Birth Certificate with Photo
ID, National identity card from your home country like Voter cards, Aadhar Card
( for Indians), Driving License, Any Visas from other consulates, Biometric
page of your passport. It should be fine to attach more proofs.
§ Any other documents
that were part of the PERM or Green Card process.
There is not a definite list of
documents suggested or required by USCIS as per the press release, USCIS says
to attach evidence for the eligibility and status. The above are indicator and typical set. USCIS recently published a list on their official page, we will
write up a detail how to guide soon. Stay tuned.
When can H-4 Visa holders file the
EAD Application with USCIS?
USCIS will begin accepting
applications on May 26, 2015. USCIS clearly tells that this new rule is
NOT considered effective until May 26, 2015 and H4 visa holders should NOT file
the application for EAD before May 26, 2015. Also, you should avoid fraud
by avoiding people who claim to help you saying that you can submit before the
effective date and seek monetary benefits.
What happens after H4 Visa holder
files the EAD application with USCIS?
USCIS will review the I-765 form and
adjudicate your case by reviewing the supporting documentation for eligibility.
If your I-765 form is approved by USCIS, the respective H4 visa dependent
spouse will receive EAD (Employment Authorization Document), which is Form
I-766.
When can you start working on
EAD for H4 visa holders?
The H4 Visa holder can start working
only after their I-765 form is approved by USCIS and they receive the EAD,
which is Form I-766.
