Trump Administration Plans to Nix Work Permits for H-4 Spouses

Aug 31, 2026 | Immigration Articles

The Trump administration plans to issue a rule to eliminate employment authorization eligibility for spouses of H-1B workers. A notice of the proposed rulemaking, was added to a long-term regulatory agenda for the Department of Homeland Security, although there is no target date for its release.

The planned rule is the latest in a barrage of Trump administration measures restricting H-1B employment, which includes a proposed a new $103,265 fee for new hires through the program and the proposal to eliminate a discretionary 60-day grace period for nonimmigrant workers to leave the United States or change status in the United States.

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