The Obama administration announced on Tuesday that spouses of some high-skilled immigrants who were working in the USA would be allowed to work on their own. This regulation was announced by the government on Wednesday and would come into effect 90 days later.

This regulation affects those people with H-4 dependent spouse visas – these mates are seeking employment-based legal permanent status, this is usually known as a green card. The spouses will be able to work now while their mates’ applications were being processed. It was estimated by the government that more than .18 million people will be eligible to apply for employment in the first year, and 0.5 million subsequently in the coming years. The director of USCIS was quoted to having said that it was a perfectly legitimate measure to have allowed the spouses of the visa holders to legally work in the country. The announcement came just when the funding for the Department of Homeland Security is threatening to run out of funds, but many feel that this was an important step in trying to fix up the already beleaguered immigration system. It was a step forward in the right direction, many feel.