Washington, DC - In early September the House of Representatives passed two bills that will provide work authorization to the spouses of L (intracompany transferee) and E (treaty trader or treaty investor) nonimmigrants.

H.R. 2278 provides work authorization to L nonimmigrant spouses, and H.R. 2277 provides work authorization to the spouses of E treaty trader and treaty investor nonimmigrants. H.R. 2278 also reduces to six months the qualifying time that an intracompany transferee must have worked overseas for the petitioning employer if the employer has filed a “blanket L” petition and met the blanket L requirements.

The Senate is expected to act favorably on both bills in 2001, and Presidential approval is similarly expected.

--Warren R. Leiden, San Francisco Office