(originally published on Times Of India)

Its been a while since the new H4 EAD law has passed. Many of the H1-B spouses have got their EAD and have started to work again. The new law of granting employment authorization to the H4 Visa holders in the form of EAD came as a pleasant surprise and a ray of hope. After this news came, it quickly became the central point of conversation for almost all the H1-B spouses.  Since this law is so important to these spouses, I thought of talking to some of them and I got variety of responses. Alike any new law, this law also has certain eligibility requirements. But at least it has given an option to H1-B spouses that they would be able to work, if not immediately, in future.

Times of India found this topic interesting for its readers and published it. Here is what the spouses have said…

“The US government’s decision to pass a law that would allow the spouses of H-1B visa holders to take up jobs and start businesses has been met with a sigh of relief from the spouses, who have so far been forced to sit at home, sometimes despite their qualifications and their work experience.

H-1B spouses usually move to the US as dependents on an H4 visa, which prevents them from taking up employment or starting businesses. The US government passed a law that would provide EADs or Employment Employment Authorization Documents to H4 holders.

The relief is particularly pronounced among the wives of Indian H-1B holders, who have often left behind lucrative careers in India to move to the US with their spouses.

“To me, this law is like a dream come true. I have been waiting to start working again,” says Ritu Sah, who has a masters in computer science and worked as a software engineer for 13 years in India and the US. She had been forced to take a break for three years because her own H-1B expired.

Others said it felt good to be able to shed the “dependent” tag that they had been living with.

The forced hiatus from work life also served to open up some new avenues for the spouses. One spouse, who has an engineering degree from the University of Georgia, learnt photography when the regulations forced her to not work. She has started working as a professional photographer after she got her EAD.

The EAD also stands to give some of these women more options on what to do with their time. While starting businesses was in favor with some, work with flexible hours was it for others. However, a common cause of concern was about explaining the gap in their resumes and a lack of experience in the US work environment.

Divya Vats Joshi, who studied Film Making from University of Technology in Sydney, has worked in Dubai, Los Angeles and Chicago. After getting married, she came to the US on an H4 Visa. Divya says that the H4 EAD law has opened avenues for her. After the law was passed, she has been working as a producer and first assistant director at a production house and a non-profit.

Another big plus has been that after getting their EAD, these women have been able to get Social Security Numbers (SSN). “Having an SSN is very important in the US. Not having an SSN is a big restriction, even for volunteering purposes, as they can’t run a background check for that person,”says Priyanka Sharma.

However, on a lighter note, some of the H4 spouses noted that the long wait for an EAD has taught them immense patience.”