The change will affect the spouses of people with so-called H-1B visas, a limited-term working visa that employees obtain when they are sponsored by their companies.
As it stands now, their spouses only get a "dependent" H-4 visa which allows them to live in the United States but not to work.
When spouses cannot work, foreign families tend not to settle in the United States, depriving it of many workers highly skilled in science and technology.
Under the changes, spouses of people with H-1B visas who have applied for permanent residency “green cards” can also apply for permission to work.
"The proposals announced today will encourage highly skilled, specially trained individuals to remain in the United States and continue to support U.S. businesses and the growth of the U.S. economy," said Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on May 13.
"The fact is, we must do more to retain and attract world-class talent to the United States and these regulations put us on a path to doing that," said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.
Silicon Valley welcomed the news. The U.S. information technology hub has for years been pushing for changes in immigration rules.
But a more ambitious immigration reform, which would go beyond a mere administrative tweak and for example raise the total number of visas available for foreign workers, has been stuck in Congress for nearly a year.
"By sensibly improving these rules, we can help ensure that the most talented foreign innovators conduct their break-through research right here at home," said Bruce Mehlamn, head of the Technology CEO Council, a business group bringing together major tech firms like IBM, Dell and Intel.
"Of course, these administrative improvements cannot substitute for the bipartisan, common-sense immigration reforms that Congress alone can advance," he added.
The administrative change comes with further easing of restrictions for researchers seeking a green card.
By Ruchi Singh
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