Insecure.
U.S. immigration policies that prevent women on spousal visas from working or petitioning on their own for a change of visa status put them at risk for sexual and physical abuse by their partners, according to a new study by Anita Raj, an SPH assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences.
Raj and her colleagues surveyed 189 married immigrant South Asian women, gathering information about demographics, immigration status, and health. They asked about immigration-related partner abuse — such as threats of deportation, refusal to file for change of visa status, and not allowing access to immigration paperwork — as well as about intimate partner violence. The team also conducted in-depth interviews with immigrant South Asian women with a history of such violence.
The study focused on people from India, the largest South Asian group in the United States, comprising nearly 50 percent of those receiving H-1B visas, which are work visas granted primarily to professionals. Holders of an H-1B visa can convert to legal permanent resident status by acquiring a green card with the sponsorship of their employers. Spouses of H-1B visa holders are given H-4B visas, which legally permit them to be in this country, but prohibit them from obtaining paid employment. The law requires that H-1B holders petition for green card status. It also prohibits H-4B holders from getting a social security card, which prevents them from opening a bank account or obtaining a driver’s license and keeps them economically and legally dependent on their spouse.
The researchers found that even among high-income and highly educated women, those with partner-dependent visa status were more likely than those with other immigrant status (work visa holders, green card holders, and U.S. citizens) to report physical or sexual violence from their husbands. Deportation threats and refusal to file for change of status were also significantly related to physical abuse and sexual abuse. The interviews revealed that batterers prevent access to immigration documents as part of a strategy to control their spouses.
“Overall,” the researchers say, “our findings demonstrate the need for policy changes that would allow women coming to the U.S. under spousal dependent visas to become employed and to self-petition for a change in visa status if they choose.”
This paper will appear in the October 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association.
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