An immigrant’s journey often begins with an employment opportunity. Work-based visas can help professionals with certain skills and specialized education lawfully enter the United States and live here while working a domestic job.
Skilled and experienced professionals may hope to improve their families’ circumstances by securing employment in the United States and then helping their loved ones join them in the country. For those with specialty work visas, it may be possible to sponsor a spouse for a related visa.
What should immigrants know about sharing their good fortune with their spouses?
Both spouses and children could secure visas
An H-4 visa is an option for spouses of immigrants with work visas. The unmarried children of the visa holder who are under the age of 21 could also qualify for an H-4 visa. Typically, H-4 visas are an option for the immediate family members of professionals with H visas.
The eligible visas include:
- H-1B
- H-1B
- H-1C
- H-2A
- H-2B
- H-3
Family members who qualify for H-4 visas can legally live in the United States with the original visa holder. They can renew their visas to remain in the country and may even be eligible for work authorization while they live here.
Who is eligible for an H-4 visa?
There are several key requirements for H-4 visas. The first is that the primary visa holder must have a valid visa and maintain legal status in the United States. They must also be capable of supporting their immediate family members without relying on state aid.
There are also requirements imposed on the family member seeking the H-4 visa. They generally need to have avoided major criminal convictions, as they must pass a background check performed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
They must submit the necessary paperwork, including medical records and proof of their relationship with the primary visa holder. They must also secure a passport and attend a visa interview at a United States embassy or consulate.
Those hoping to travel with their loved ones or bring them to the United States often need help navigating family-based immigration programs. Those seeking H-4 visas for immediate family members can increase their chances of success with the support of a legal professional who understands immigration law.