Revoking work permits of spouses of tech immigrant workers will reduce Silicon Valley’s competitive advantage

Last year, President Trump signed the “Buy American and Hire American” executive order that
argued for the need to protect the interests of United States workers. One of the decisions driven by
this executive order will be the implementation of a rule that will eliminate work authorization of
spouses of H-1B — or high-skilled visa holders. The decision threatens to upend the tech industry
at a time when Silicon Valley’s big companies — which rely on H-1B visa workers — are already
facing a labor shortage. If their spouses aren’t allowed to work, other countries with less-restrictive
visa policies will attract these skilled workers, opponents of the rule change say.