India NewEngland sheds light upon an issue that links a partticular immigration status to domestic abuse:
The study’s author, Boston University School of Public Health Professor Anita Raj, says current U.S. immigration policies preventing women on spousal visas from working and self-petitioning for change of status may constitute human-rights violations.
“H-4B visa holders are legal residents of the U.S. who are being denied the right to work and the right to self-petition for legal permanent residency in the U.S.,” Raj said. “These policies violate basic human rights and must be changed for the U.S. to demonstrate a commitment to eliminating policies that increase women’s risk for violence.”
The study, released this month, determines that abusive husbands use immigration-related abuse – threats of deportation, refusal to file for change of visa status and withholding of immigration paperwork – to exert extraordinary personal and economic control over their partners.
There seems to be so many immigration loopholes that can be exploited in unconcionable ways. Since this one affects the South Asian community, I thought I’d point it out.
“I don’t want to imply that if you’re on an H-4 visa, you’re going to be abused,” Raj said. “If you are in an abusive relationship and you are on an H-4 visa, you are at so much greater vulnernability for abuse.”
Leslye Orloff, director of the Immigrant Woman Program at the women’s right organization Legal Momentum, is leading a national effort to secure legal protections for immigrant victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Orloff said Raj’s research proves for the first time that it’s not just U.S. citizens or permanent residents who use control over a partner’s immigration status to lock their victims in abusive marriages.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Besides beatings, verbal insults, and sexual degradation, abuse also includes threats of deportation, cultural alienation, and physical isolation. H-4B visa holders are susceptible to just as much, if not more, aggression, and currently the VAWA (Violence Against Women’s Act) does not allow such visa holders to self-petition for a green card. I see this happen all the time at the small domestic violence agency I work for. It’s hard enough for a woman to face the shame of being in a domestically abusive relationship. It’s doubly hard to face this alone, in a foreign culture. The situation is made even worse with looming threat of deportation and possibly criminal investigation.
“People should be organizing to try to get the laws changed to get H-4 visa holders the right to work.”Anita Raj
It would be great if somebody could lead this advocacy or orgaise it and let everyone who hold H4 know how and where they could contribute to this cause. This is a straight human right abuse of the right to work and its difficult to imagine that it is going on here in the US, in the 21st century.
it is so unfair that illegal immigrants end up with jobs all over the united states, while we the legal H-4 visa holders have to watch the world go on without being able to hold a simple job.
Hi everyone,
Reading this website and two similar articles in workpermit.com and washingtonpost.com I found that my family’s problem is a problem for many more families. There are about 300,000 people on H4-status. Keeping all these people isolated as dependents and not giving them the right to work is unfair and for sure not democratic. The question is how to change this. How to get organized and rise the voice. ???
Several things CAN be done by the abused spouse: 1) You or your family can notify the INS. Whe it’s time for the interview, the INS officer will interview the persons SEPARATELY and here is your chance TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS.
2) Report the abuser. When the officers show up, tell them that you are being threatened with deportation and they will have to report the matter to the INS. The LOCAL POLICE CANNOT DEPORT YOU. Only the federal government can and they know the laws.
3) Do not be abused. Do not pay dowry. Do not live like a slave. TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IF YOU ARE ABUSED. It’s not your fault.
4) MEMORISE THE DATES AND CIRCUMSTANCES when you were abused. Give these details to the people you know.
5) If your spouse loves you, he won’t hit you. Period. If he does, CALL 911.
I am ready to host the website and blog.. Looking for presentation of issues from Anita Raj.
I hear all this hue and cry about women getting abused. The truth is many of them simply come to U.S for greed and green card. They suck their husbands dry for years and when get bored, they pull this stunt about being verbally, physically, or emotionally abused and to certain extend put self-inflicted wounds to frame their husbands. I’m a victim of this abuse and not only my ex lived an independent extravagant life in the U.S for quite sometime and never showed any sincerity or loyalty. She always wasted the money and took my only child away and filed for all kind of support and alimony. I think these women should go through an investigative process like lie detection tests and psychological evaluations before giving them any grant of status.
Hey, if its so bad being on H4, dont come here. Nobody is forcing you to. The truth is that many Indian girls will marry a dog if it means they can emigrate to the US. They are being driven by greed of the green card so dont feel so bad for them.
This is not the only case where these indian girls are getting married to these H1B Holder Dogs out of greed, but their are many cases in which the girls are married to the guys who are well setteled in india but gradually in their carrier they are coming to USA to keep their jobs, So please dont talk like this.
hi I am on h4 visa for four year.living life like hell, I found my family’s problem is a problem for many more h4 ldies. Keeping all these people isolated as dependents and not giving them the right to work is unfair and for sure not democratic. when we are not working we dont have any money,we really need help,people like me who dont have any place to go for help,
Hi, If you are a person who understand the difficulties of an H4 dependent, please help us by joining our campaign, at- http://www.change.org/changes/change_page/1899 It can help bring a smile in the face of so many women, who are currently under lot of stress, and hardship in a foreign country. Please help us spread the word Thanks!!
Hi,
this is asad from pakistan, my 1st cousin( my wife) brought me here on H4 visa after getting married to me,last year november, but she and her parents trapped me, i always loved her but at the time of marriage they said we’ve got alot of loans and our daughter will help us for that so u people cannot have any sexual relation for 2 years after the marriage and cannot have kids too, to which i agreed ‘cos it was my aunt who’s my wife’s mother, but later on when i came to USA, my wife along wid her parents forced me to work illegally and even now she’s threating me that if i wont work she’ll send me back and not only this, they are demanding for money too( so called relatives), i was not a greedy dog to come to the US, i’ve seen almost half of the world myself, now what do u people have to say abt this?
Hi All!
With due respect to all the contributors I would like to highlight some social issues of the problem… first of all….. for those making it only a WOMEN issue, let me correct that its nt just a women issue, its about all H4 holders who may be a male or a female….. secondly, for all those who think that the gold diggers who marry an H1B holder dog for Green Card, do not deserve any sympathy…. just let me know what would happen to those guys or girls if their partners refuses to join them on their journey for a better career and future for themselves at the cost of their own career and independence… if that girl or boy has married to you for the green card, do not forget that you also might have wanted the same and came to US with the same greed for the GC.
and as someone has rightly pointed out… what about those who refused to marry a so called H1B Dog but then had to willingly join their spouses in India at a later stage in order to support their career growth cause no one would obviously want to live with the long-distance relationship…. and mind it, they are doing so…at the cost of their own careers….not to oblige their spouces…but purely out of the care and concern they have for their spouses. Many of them have had a very good professional qualification and a promising career and positions for themselves…..
so all dear home country people….if you cannot make the US govt understand all these, because they have some technical issues with the same which can be well understood, please atleast get humble to your own country people and appreciate their efforts and their worries…. rather than being so proud of your so called H1B Dog status and ridiculing your own counter parts for their problems and worries.
Interesting and informative blog. Thanks.
I have a question. there is a case where the dependant H4 Visa holder left the country(USA) and abondoned his wife who is H1 visa holder. She had to wind up her career and go search for him in India. He wanted divorce and she went to seek mutual consent divorce.
But that cheater has since flown out of India and is now in USA on H4 , though it is due to expire now. He is not contacting her at all. He is kind of hiding. What does a genuine sufferer do?.. Her H1 too has expired now. She can’t go back to USA to search for him!
Can she seek deportation? Can she ask for the dowry back? Can she sue him?
It is not only the girls who marry for H4, men too do it and then abondon their wives.
In this case , her life is ruined, her career gone.
Please advise.
I am a Canadian on an H4 Visa. My husband is here on an H1 as a professor. I am a qualified teacher – in Canada and now in the state that we reside. But I can’t accept work on my H4 Visa. Schools will not sponsor me or hire me on an H4. It is a terrible situation for me. I am a professional, trained, qualified, and unable to accept employment. My carreer is deadlocked. I am a great teacher with so much to offer. I put my kids on the school bus every morning, say goodbye to my husband as he goes off to work, and stay home depressed, stuck, searching for a way to fulfill myself here alone. The H4 regulations are most definately cruel. I have undergone all the testing and spent 1000 dollars getting certified here, but my status won’t allow me to teach. I am not here for his financial support or greencard. I am here helping my husband pursue his carreer goals and I now realize it is at the expense of mine. I am only trying to live my life, not exploit anyone or anything. I would like to help with any effort to advocate for H4 visa holders. I understand the personal crisis involved in coming to the U.S. as a family to support my spouse’s carreer goals and having no ability to pursue mine. It is a nightmare for me. I didn’t expect this. I will help with any advocacy initiatives. Pat 🙂
Hello all, I am a Massachusetts based freelance photographer (www.rahulrathi.com). I am making a multimedia documentary on H4 visa holders. Are there any H4 visa holders that would be interested in being a part of my documentary? My plan is to bring forward the plight of H4 visa holders and send the documentary to the White House. I am kidding my friends, I was on H4 myself and I know how hard it is to live in the USA on this visa. Some of my work can be seen on my website under multimedia!
My email address: rahul@rahulrathi.com
Hi
To those who thing that H4 wives or husbands are greed people who come to USA for GC , please go and get a reality check. Before speaking think about the feelings of all those you are hurting. I have done my MBA from India and was working- earning more than my husband but he wanted to come to USA , so I supported him and came here. I thought I will also file for H1 later on but the lottery system never gave me a chance. Think about people like me who wants to support their partner’s dreams but doing that, they themselves are not in great situation. Because of the rule that so called H4’s can’t work I lost the opportunity to grow in my own career. I don’t know why people feel that they can call us greed? I am still tring to understand. I guess in your dictionary sacrifice means Greed (BUNCH OF ILLITERATES) Especially for Anjan I would like to say… I am sorry I can’t make out if you are a male or female. If you are a woman than I am ashamed of your thinking.
Abuse,Anjan and all who speak as they do…
I am from Trinidad and Tobago,West Indies.I am from a wealthy family and I’m Punjabi that got married to a Gujarati from Bhavnagar,India.My marriage took place Nov,07 and Divorce April,09.Here in my country it is not difficult to get a green card ,unlike India.I flew half way across the world (India) to marry my husband because I loved him,not because I was desperate to get a green card.I came to the US on a L2Visa then my husband shifted me to an H4 Visa.However for the short time of my marriage I suffered physical abuse (BEATING),emoutional abuse and financial abuse.On top of that my husband cheated on me the 2nd month of marriage with a call girl.As months went by I noticed he was a sex/woman addict that was obsessed with Live sex sites and cheating.For those of you who don’t know what a live sex sit is ,it’s a site that women do what you want them to on a web cam and you are able to chat with them or even invite them out.Anyway he treated me so badly and expected me to accept it as all indian woman do from INDIA.I suffered so much that if I were to tell you ,i would have to publish a book.I do know of women from India using men to get green cards and I am sorry for that.They are what we in the western world call CHEAP.However I think Anand married me so that he could get his green card.I will never know why he married me.He never showed true respect,appreciation or love.The guy hurt me so bad and shows no guilt,remorse,sorrow,grief or anything of that sort.I left him 3 months ago and him and his family are now searching a new wife.I wish he could be a man and make our marriage work ,get help and be a better husband.Anyway for those of you Indian men that thinks its ok to abuse women..Think twice.Cause believe me your maker will definitly punish you..and remember your life on earth is temporary but time in hell is forever.ADULTRY,ABUSE,LUSTING,LYING are all what Indian men are famous for doing and they are all SINS in the eyes of GOD.For you women out there that think it’s ok for a man to abuse you…it’s not.One day you would end up dead and he’ll find a new wife.Love and Marrige for Indian men is like shopping in the mall for a wife.They don’t know what love or marriage is about.They need to learn.For you good men out there that want to be a good husband..Please dont cheat,lie,hide or beat your wives.Love,appreciate,respect and cherish her.there is a good book called “Making Marriage Work -Joyce Meyer”.It teaches you how to maintain a good and healthy marriage,which God wants it to be. God sees all things.Do good so that at the end of your life you have no regrets.God bless all.
Oh ya my husband Anand is still in the US and I had to flea from the USA for my safety because while he went on a business trip he called me and threatened to kill me when he returns home to California.I am now back to Trinidad,being stigmatized and put through shame while he lives a sinful life.Many H4 Visa holders that are women have to endure abuse..Its so sad.
Hi all,
Going through the blog, abt how woman/h4 suffer from abuses (mental & physical).
One thing cannot be denied laws for protecting woman is very much strong here, and for that reason its even the man in the relationship always under threat, woman would intimidate her husband & dare him, the moment smthing happens then its 911. I would say smtimes its a misuse of their rights here. Day-in day-out alwys telling they will leave the husband for even reasons like they cant work in this country, is that h1b holders fault? & Is that not a mental abuse?
Wives come to this country alwys commenting on how bad is US life and all. But when it comes to staying with husband’s parents, they draw parallel with how parents are independent in US, wife-husband stay separately. H1b husband is under threat of even having to pay alimony to his wife, for the income he even isnt sure of. The prjects are lost in single moment, renewal of h1 is not sure.
Now a days H4 wives insist on divorce in US rather than India. H4 who r making lives hell for their h1b husbands r a bunch of hypocrites. Today they crying about not being able to work cos of US laws, I can assure one thing, tom whn it comes to separation/divorce, they would want to reap benefits of divorce in US rather than in India. Wht happened to their foreign land/alien coutry theme.
Hypocrites….
Samir,
I 100% agree with you. H4 and H1 or any other type of US visa is a favor and not privilege. The consulate helps you to unite with your spouse.
There are bunch of women who come to US on H4 in spite of knowing the lifestyle in western world. They become extremely bored and then they start screwing the husband to pacify their anger. many women take the further steps and keep calling 911 mentioning the words like abuse/torture/beating etc.
My wife called cops 14 times in a year whenever the quarrel used to break out due to simple disagreement on various issues of day to day life. Just after 3 years of marrriage she wanted to go back to India with kid and wanted me to leave my 13 yr job/home. I didn’t ACCEPTED this and become a victim of her constant harassment by calling 911. Not a single time cops arrested me or put any charges on me. finally she got a PFA (protection From Abuse) from a local court which is easy to obtain like a pizza, if women asks it then its damn easy. I didn’t admitted the allegations still court asked me to stay away from her. Later she claimed spousal and child support. court granted me weekend visits and restricted her from taking kid out of US. Now she is staying in a rental apartment.
So my dumb wife trapped herself in US by leaving a good home, all comforts and luxury and with no prospects of job, she will screw my 2 year old sons future too.
Now her dream of forcibly going back to India landed her in US forever.
yes, it is so sad that h4 visa holders go through a lot of emotional torture. sometimes it is from oursleves(within) and sometimes from spouse. i know some of my friends who take up jobs on h4 and are paid in cash or do some freelancing and are getting paid using paypal or their spouse’s account. do these ppl face any serious problems? will visa authorities find out??
i was on h4 for 4 long years. it was a real torture.
Hello all, I myself also an h4 visa holder I would say that it is not good to live your country behind for some h4 visa. My situation is these; I am a business man in our country I made only roughly 1000 dollars a month. In this amount, we can have our dental, eye, health check yearly and if we needed can still afford it. My wife also works in a private sector also, but we decided to come to USA to try the so called “AMERICAN DREAM”. I gave up all my business and to finance my wife. And we end up here. She got the American dream and I got the American nightmare. I was thinking to go back but I already gave up my promising future there. I’m so stupid to come up to this decision. If you have a promising future to your own country DO NOT gives up your work for an h4. Just have your h4 visa come to US and see what the life of an h4 is.
Well good topic to debate, I myself and H1B holder and my wife is on H4B. And I do have friends who are either on H1B or H4 this is what I feel after lot of analysis.
I do agree that its unfair that US Govt rules are absurd, and they should let H4 Holders to work may be at least as interns or let them work and tax them at 50%. When L1 spouses can work why can H1 Spouses. And this relive lot of pressure on the H1b holders. As you all know the saying “An Idle brain is devils kitchen”. and especially its 200% true when it comes to women. Many Families are going thru lot of strain do to the fact that H4 holders are depended on H1b.
When it comes to Women marrying H1B’s they are at a double advantage if its South Asian Women. 1. They are already marrying someone who are settled in US. 2. They will have more freedom than what they will have in their own country. As Asian countries are Patriarchal and mostly men have advantages of living in South Asian countries.
Now if you see they are idle and they have more freedom. After women living under parents control and financial restrictions for 20+ years they tend to have more freedom when they come to US. Some handle the freedom well and most of them misuse it.
So women if you marry someone its not a fairytale love, Cinderella Voyage, and its a life with both responsibilities & privileges. So all H4’s be nice to your spouse and make the american dream a true dream.
Rajesh, Did you by any chance feel that you were doing your wife a favor by bringing her to this country? You talk like you are some big shot, relax your only an H1B holder! You think sitting on an H4 and with the status of “dependent” is fun? Why don’t you sit with it for a few months and see how that feels. If you think you are doing your spouse a favor and hence setting standards for her, I’d say she can do much better than that. There is no “behave cos of this favor” deal in an H1B-H4 relation.. It roars “you are dependent on me” every god damn second! So please think before you talk. Marriage is a relationship and you work thru odds.. but if anyone has a mentality like yours, God save the spouse! “favor” is the year 2011.. From which village did you come dude?
my husband is on H1 and is continually torturing me for the past 4 and a half yrs. I gave up my H1 and am now on H4. I went bck to India last yr but came back again with him. He was ok for 4-5 months but again he started misbehaving. I have a 3 yr old daughter. He and his parents harrassed me for dowry. But now, it has become unbearable, please someone suggest me. I want to go back to India but want to teach him a lesson that torturing your wife and kid for such a long time is no good. He mocks at me and says that I will never come to India but you have to leave. What should I do,,and whom should I inform? He works for a good company in CA. Can someone help me what should I do? To add to everything he has started keeping tabs on me and threatens me that if I go out and tell the cops,,,he will teach me a lesson
I really feel sorry for Rajesh’s wife. Sadly, there is no shortage of women who are willing to marry jerks like Rajesh, either due to poor judgement or lack of control over their own destiny.
Please see this link for h4 salvation (look at the word”repeal”) The point is to allow h4 and other eligible people to work
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see the link!
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