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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today praised a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that will allow work permits for spouses of immigrants inside the United States holding H-1B visas.

“Spouses of high-skilled workers are often just as skilled and educated as their husbands or wives,” DelBene said. “The previous ban disproportionately harmed women who simply wanted to contribute to our society by working. Now employers will have access to more skilled workers, helping our economy and improving the quality of life for immigrant families.”

DHS announced the rule earlier this year, but it went into effect on Tuesday. Before the rule change, spouses of H-1B workers could only apply for H-4 visas, which allow them to temporarily live in the United States but not work. Now some spouses with H-4 visas can also apply for a work permit, giving U.S. companies access to more high-skilled workers already living in the country. More than 150,000 spouses are expected to apply for employment eligibility this year.

Tech companies struggling to find qualified workers can sponsor immigrants for H-1B visas – temporary work visas that last three years. Washington’s First District is home to cutting edge biotech firms, aerospace suppliers and other advanced software and manufacturing companies – all of which need high-skilled workers trained in technology fields.

In March, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee blocked DelBene’s commonsense measure to ensure U.S. companies remain competitive by allowing the spouses of high-skilled H-1B workers applying for green cards to work, as several other countries do. The Congresswoman has called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and helped introduce a broadly supported comprehensive immigration reform bill, H.R. 15, during the last session of Congress.

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