[dragonwriter]

> Even with the best estimates for people born in India, the Green Card wait times are at least 10+ years to 120 years.

10 years is the length of the current backlog for Employment 2nd, 3rd, and “Other Workers" preference visa from India, but only two years for Employment 1st Preference,.and Employment 4th preference is current.

> What are the spouses of such people ought to do?

In principal:

(1) Come to the US but not work, or

(2) Remain in India, to which the H-1B recipient, as a nonimmigrant, will return.

> There seems to be no interest in fixing the root cause of the problem.

Do you mean the existence of the H-1B in the first place, or some other “root cause”.

[theshadowmonkey]

> 10 years is the length of the current backlog for Employment 2nd, 3rd, and “Other Workers" preference visa from India, but only two years for Employment 1st Preference,.and Employment 4th preference is current.

Have you looked at what's required to get a first preference greencard? 99% probably dont qualify unless you abuse it with companies like CTS or Accenture.

> (1) Come to the US but not work, or

What do spouses with advanced degrees and prior work experience do? With H1B lottery, this was a decent outlet when you have stayed here already for a few years.

> (2) Remain in India, to which the H-1B recipient, as a nonimmigrant, will return.

You suggest stay away from your wife and family when you're just married or have young kids?

[dragonwriter]

> Have you looked at what's required to get a first preference greencard?

I was clarifying the backlog statement, not recommending a method of bypassing it.

> What do spouses with advanced degrees and prior work experience do?

The same as other spouses.

> You suggest stay away from your wife

No, I suggest nothing; those are the options under the law in the absence of the H-4 EAD.

More bluntly, the entire point of the policy change is clearly to discourage H-1B applications, especially from countries like India and China, so complaining that it doesn't leave attractive options for the spouses impacted is pointing out that it is working as designed. What the spouse is really supposed to do, in the eyes of those crafting the policy, is prevail upon their partner not to seek an H-1B in the first place.

The mechanism may be a bit more subtle than closing border crossings and firing tear gas across the border to turn away people attempting to exercise their legal right to apply for asylum, but the intent is the same: to make clear that the affected people are not welcome in the US, at least by the present administration.

[burfog]

Spouses with advanced degrees and prior work experience are exactly the sort of people who can raise children well. Due to exponential growth of the number of descendants with time, this has a far more beneficial impact on the world than anything else. The alternative is idiocracy.

[belltaco]

>(2) Remain in India, to which the H-1B recipient, as a nonimmigrant, will return.

Sad to see people advocating for separating spouses from each other at the price of their careers.

Also this problem also applies to China, not just India.

[int_19h]

> Remain in India, to which the H-1B recipient, as a nonimmigrant, will return.

H-1B is a dual intent visa, and US specifically provides for an employer-sponsored green card track, which many people take. So "will return" is wishful thinking.

[KorematsuFred]

Sorry it does not work that way. If not allowed to work legally for such racist reasons they will work for cash on various jobs screwing up poorest of poor American citizens.