The United States Senate has announced a deal to grant thousands of automatic work permits to spouses and children of H-1B visa holders, Y-Axis reported on Wednesday.

According to the plan, as many as 100,000 H-4 visa holders will be provided with automatic work authorisation.

The H-1B is a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa category that allows employers to hire highly educated foreign professionals to work in specialty occupations that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent.

The National Security Agreement, announced on February 4, will also address the issue of 250,000 aged-out children of H-1B visa holders.

It is pertinent to mention that an H-4 visa is a nonimmigrant visa for dependent spouses and children of certain work visa holders, including H-1B holders.

The move is a sigh of relief to thousands of skilled foreign workers waiting for a Green Card, the absence of which bars their spouses from working while their aged-out children also face the threat of deportation.

A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

Additionally, the bill plans protection for aging-out children of long-term H-1B visa holders in case the kids have maintained H4 status for eight years.

It will also provide 18,000 more employment-based green cards per annum for the next five years with country caps.