There has been an inordinate delay in the issuing of H-4 work authorization permits to certain categories of spouses of those possessing H-1B foreign work visas, the most sought after among Indian IT professionals, a group of Indian women in the U.S. has said. An H-4 visa is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the H-1B visa holders, most of whom are Indian IT professionals, according to a Press Trust of India report. The H-4 visa is normally issued to those who have already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status in the U.S.