H-4 visa

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This is the visa status that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21) of the H-1B visa holders.

The H-4 visa is common referred as Involuntary Housewife Status because the adult spouse are not allowed to work making her/him 100% economically dependent.

[edit] About H4 visa

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allows spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an 'H' (H-1A / H-1B / H-2A / H-2B / H-3) visa holders to get H-4B visas to live in the US. These visas are usually issued at the local US consulate office of your home country. However, if you are already in US, you can obtain H-4B visa by filing Form I-539 for change of status.

H4 visa holders are not allowed employment in US and are not eligible to get a Social Security Number. But, you can get driver's license and open bank account(s) and get ITIN for IRS Tax purpose.

Family members may alternatively be admitted in other nonimmigrant categories for which they qualify, such as the F-1 category for children or spouses who will be students or the H-1B category for a spouse whose employer has also obtained approval of an H-1B visa petition to employ the spouse. An H-4 visa holder is admitted to the U.S. for the duration of the primary H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, or H-3 visa is valid.

[edit] DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR H-4B VISA

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1) I-797 form (your H-1B visa approval notice)

2) A dated (recently written) letter of employment from the company you work for with your current salary.

3) A Letter addressing Consulate in favor of your dependent’s visa.

4) Copy of relevant pages of passport : Notarized (Make sure that you have the copy of the page with current valid visa.)

5) Copy of the Marriage certificate : Notarized, If marriage certificate is not in English get it translated to English and get it Notarized.

6) A couple of your recent paychecks.

7) Bank statement [proof of money for supporting your spouse]

8) Original passport of the person applying for H-4B visa.

9) Few marriage photographs and a marriage invitation card.

10) Few Company photographs (1 photo of the building from outside and others inside the building preferably office rooms and/or cubicles with computers etc.)

Unless required, it is better not to provide original documents since they will likely never be returned, though the applicant should have the originals at the interview if the Consular official requests to review them.