Google parent companyAlphabet Inc’s on Friday came in favor of H-1B spouses to protect their rightto work in the United States. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has asserted that he isleading nearly 30 companies and trade organizations to battle against thelawsuit that seeks the dismissal of spouses of immigrants on H-1B visa in USA.
In a blog post, CatherineLacavera, V-P, Legal said it is necessary to maintain a fair immigration systemto preserve America’s “laudable history” of hailing foreign skilled workersfrom across the world which “fuels a virtuous cycle of innovation.”
Lacavera, an immigrant herself,voicing out against the lawsuit said, “Unfortunately,an impending court case is putting both at risk at the most inopportune moment.”
It may be noted here that spouses of H-1Bvisa holders, who majorly comes from India and China, get H-4 visas and only incertain cases they can apply for employment authorization document.
However, earlier, the H-4 visa holders weregranted the work permit only after their H-1B spouses were well-off to receivea permanent resident card aka “green card.”
Perhaps due to backlog of PR cards, Obamaadministration in 2015 had to introduce the H-4 EmploymentAuthorization Document (EAD) rule which proved beneficial for the familiesstriving to survive on a single income.
On the other side, SaveJobs USA, a group of IT workers claimed that they lost jobs to H-1B workersthus, filed a lawsuit to end issuing of H-4 EAD for the spouses of H-1B visaholders.
Earlier,during President Donald Trump’s rule, the lawsuit witnessed a delay as theadministration pondered much withdrawing the H-4 work rule. The govt kept onconsidering and the charge of office was taken by Joe Biden.
As of now, both Biden administration and the complainantsseek the summary judgment in the cade.
According to Lacavera, the H-4 EAD rule provides work assistanceto over 90,000 spouses of H-1B visa holders. And of this, 90 percent are womento get assistance. Also, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically impacted womenand if this norm gets quashed it will only make things worse, she added.
“Tosupport this important program, we are leading an amicus brief with nearly 30companies and organizations to preserve and protect the H-4 EAD program,”Lacavera announced.
She also added that if the H-4 EAD norm is withdrawn it will hurt the familiesand would also relapse the US economy amid the pandemic situation.
Meanwhile,Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who is also an immigrant from India, said that the company is proud to support the immigrantsworking in the US. He took to the micro-blogging site and informed that theyhave joined 30 other companies to protect a program that “spurs innovation,creates jobs and opportunities, and helps families.”