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Visa regulations and labour market restrictions: implications for Indian immigrant women in the United States

The Indian Journal of Labour Economics volume 60, pages 217–232 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

This article documents the everyday experiences of Indian immigrant women living in the US on H4 visa – given to dependents of H1B visa holders, that disallows them from entering the labour market. The study is located within the framework of ‘gender and international immigration’ and uses a qualitative research approach to understand how visa regimes that bestow unequal rights on the primary and dependent visa holders shape the immigration experience, and have a bearing on the personal well-being, socialization processes and career graphs. The findings from open-ended interviews point out that the H4 visa affects women’s confidence and idea of self-worth, constrains them financially, disables them in social settings, and provides no opportunities to build economic or human capital and skill sets.

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Notes

  1. Here, the phrase Indian immigrant includes recent immigrants like students or temporary workers, those living in the US on a green card, as well as naturalized citizens.

  2. The numbers can also be attributed to a rise in L1 (intra-company transfers) and L2 (family of L1 visa holders) and F1 (student) visas being given out to Indians. However, these do not match up to the H1B and H4 visas in terms of numbers.

  3. Green card or a permanent resident card enables immigrants to live and work in the US permanently.

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  1. Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Divya Ravindranath

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  1. Divya Ravindranath
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Correspondence to Divya Ravindranath.

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Ravindranath, D. Visa regulations and labour market restrictions: implications for Indian immigrant women in the United States. Ind. J. Labour Econ. 60, 217–232 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-017-0095-y

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Keywords

  • H4 visa
  • Indian immigrant women
  • Dependent visa
  • Immigration