This Blog was posted By The South Texas Legal Group. principle Office in San Antonio, Texas

What are the new rules governing H-4 visas?

The H-1B visa has proven to be an invaluable tool for U.S. employers looking to add individuals with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to their workforce. Indeed, the visa has helped immigrants from all corners of South Asia secure valuable work experience and forge lasting connections here in the U.S.

Interestingly enough, however, the experience of the spouses of these H-1B visa holders, the vast majority of whom are women with their own education and experience, has been decidedly different. Indeed, these spouses, known as H-4 visa holders have long been denied the chance to pursue any sort of career.

What are the restrictions governing H-4 visa holders?

Immigration law has long dictated that H-4 visa holders were not eligible for work authorization, meaning many otherwise highly educated and skilled people were unable to secure any type of employment during the six-year term of their spouses’ H-1B visas.

This inability to work and, by extension, contribute to the marital household resulted in many H-4 visa holders referring to it as a “golden cage.”

Are H-4 visa holders still subject to these restrictions?

H-4 visa holders are able to apply for work authorization.
The change came about thanks to a provision contained in executive actions on immigration.

Do H-4 visa holders then have carte blanche to seek work authorization?

No, H-4 visa holders can only seek work authorization under the following scenarios:

Their spouse is in the process of applying for a green card.
Their spouse has received an extension on their H-1B visa.

How many people will benefit from these new rules?

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it is estimated that over 180,000 applications for work authorization will be filed by H-4 visa holders over the coming year, leveling off to around 55,000 per year thereafter.

If you have questions or concerns regarding H-1B visas, H-4 visas or any other employment-based visa, please consider speaking with an experienced legal professional as soon as possible.

TEXAS OIL & GAS INDUSTRY ACCIDENT LAWYERS

If you have been seriously injured or a family member has been seriously injured or has died as a result of an oil and gas industry accident, our firm, a top-rated Texas law firm, can help. We represent persons severely injured and surviving family members of persons who die as a result of oil & gas industry accidents caused by the negligence of other persons or organizations.
Our talented team of professionals provides injured persons and their families with highest quality legal representation on a contingency fee basis in high stakes cases involving oil and gas industry accidents, including those in oil and gas fields, at drilling sites, at refineries, those arising from pipeline transmission-related activities, those at commercial sales locations, and those at users’ locations.

When you are injured in an oil and gas industry accident, it makes sense to have an attorney on your side who knows how to maximize the compensation received by oil and gas industry injury victims. Those that work in the oil and gas industry are subjected to some of the most hazardous industrial conditions in the United States. As a result, oil and gas industry workers suffer more severe work-related injuries and suffer wrongful death more frequently than workers in other fields.

Whether you or a family member has been injured, or a family member has been killed, when struck by a piece of equipment or other heavy object that was sent flying when something went wrong, by a gas explosion, by a pipeline accident, or due to a fire, chemical exposure, a dangerous fall, or a falling object or piece of equipment, or by some other oil and gas industry-related accident, we can help.

Contact our experienced oil and gas industry accident injury lawyers today to discuss your matter. Our attorneys meet with potential clients free of charge and work on contingency. We do not charge any attorneys’ fees until a settlement is reached or a favorable trial verdict is won.

The oil and gas industry can obviously be a very dangerous place to work. Unfortunately, in many cases of serious injury or even wrongful death, the worker will have little recourse other than Workers Compensation benefits. Under Texas law, employers are protected in the great majority of cases from personal injury lawsuits under the exclusivity provisions of the Workers Compensation Act. However, there are exceptions. In addition, there are often many contractors and subcontractors on a job. If a contractor, subcontractor or other third party causes injury or wrongful death of an oil and gas worker, they are not usually protected under the Workers Compensation Act.

Whether you have been seriously injured or are a family member of the injured person, our legal team can help you cope with the ordeal by helping you to recover damages from the party responsible for the injuries. You or your family member may be able to recover monetary damages to compensate for all necessary medical care, past, and future, that is related to the injury. In addition, the injured person, and in some cases, the injured person’s loved ones, may be able to recover compensation for other losses resulting from the injuries, including damages for lost wages or other income, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, and physical impairment. However, early and thorough case evaluation is very important to the development of your oil & gas industry accident case. So, please don’t hesitate. Contact our firm to discuss your matter as soon as possible.

Rest assured that, if you partner with our firm, you will have a highly skilled team of professionals on your side.
Our firm is recognized among the best law firms in the country in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings as a Tier 1 – Best Law Firm. The firm is also AV-rated by the esteemed Martindale-Hubbell® lawyer rating system, which represents the highest rating given in both legal ability and professional ethics. Our firm is led by three experienced trial lawyers, a senior partner who is a Texas Super Lawyer,* a partner who has been identified as one of Texas’ Preeminent Women Lawyers, and a partner who has been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star.**

Our attorneys have handled cases involving individuals injured and killed in oil & gas industry-related accidents and in cases involving falling or flying objects falls, fires, explosions, and chemical burns. We also offer those injured in oil & gas industry accidents something that most other plaintiff’s firms cannot — our legal team’s experience on the defense side of personal injury accident cases. Our attorneys have successfully defended oil & gas industry companies in accident cases. Our experience goes back to 1977. Our partners have investigated and developed the facts and technical issues in all kinds of serious accidents, involving every imaginable type of injury that can occur in such accidents. Our partners have proven experience in developing the evidence necessary to prevail in complex accident cases, including having deposed and cross-examined eye-witnesses, medical experts, police officers, and other accident experts. We are able to quickly assemble a team of first-rate experts in the fields of medicine, accident reconstruction, biomechanics, equipment use and maintenance, and operator compliance with federal regulations, and we use their experience combined with our own to develop successful strategies and evidence necessary to best present our client’s position at trial.
If you or a family member has been severely injured, or if a family member has been fatally injured by the actions or omissions of another individual or an organization in an oil & gas industry related accident, please us for a free consultation.

Personal injury laws are constantly updated and insurance companies and defense attorneys are constantly in search of new ways to reduce or dismiss claims. It is best to understand personal injury claims before you get injured. Meaning that there are steps to take once you have realized that your injuries may have been caused by negligence, malpractice or otherwise.

Because laws are constantly changing you may be entitled to some rights that you are unaware, a qualified and experienced attorney can point these out to you. You would be advised to consult with a lawyer concerning the laws applicable to your case. Personal injury litigation begins the moment an accident occurs. Every word that is exchanged and every event that occurs becomes a part of the trial for settlement of the case.

Whether you are injured in a car accident, a slip and fall or due to medical malpractice or faulty equipment, be wary of what you say and do. In most cases an inured person will be asked time and time again to go over in detail the events of the moment they were injured. Gather and log as much information as you can to include in your personal injury claim.

Important Personal Injury Guidelines
If you have been injured, take extreme care to avoid saying anything that may later be interpreted as an admission of fault. Skillful defense attorneys will try and turn even the slightest humorous remark or apology into an admission of fault. In the same regard, take special consideration to listen carefully to what the others involved in an accident are saying and make note of it all. In general avoid discussing the cause of the accident or injury.

Call the police in any case involving personal injury and file a report. If you are involved in an injury in a place of business then ask to file an accident report with the company. Make an attempt to gather information from eyewitnesses and others in the area. Get as many names and as much contact information as you can. Many individuals are reluctant to get involved in personal injury cases, so try your best to gather information.

Try and take photographs of the accident and the surrounding area of the accident. Photographs are especially helpful in cases involving automobile accidents and equipment failure. If you are looking for a car accident Lawyer in San Antonio click here