WASHINGTON: In a huge relief for H-1B visa holders, a White House-backed bipartisan deal has been unveiled under which automatic work authorisation would be granted to about 100,000 H-4 visa holders, who are spouses and children of a certain category of H-1B visa holders.

The National Security Agreement, announced on Sunday after long negotiations between the Republican and the Democratic leadership in the US Senate, also provides a solution to about 250,000 aged-out children of H-1B visa holders.