Janece Benshan (Chief Content Officer)

It’s not as simple as “just let them work.” Immigration policy has to balance labor market protections with fairness to immigrants. Some argue that allowing H4 spouses to work might increase competition in already saturated job markets, especially in professions like IT. However, the counterpoint is that these individuals are already in the U.S., and many have advanced degrees. Why let them sit idle when they could contribute productively? Perhaps the fairest solution would be to tie H4 work rights to specific criteria—like certain education levels, or industries with proven skill shortages. That way, the policy doesn’t feel like a free-for-all but still recognizes the potential contributions of these spouses.