US Govt Tight Rules On OPT Work Permit Impact On 69000 Indian Students

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Jyoti
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OPT Work Permit Rules For Indians: Indian students who go to America to study also get a chance to work here after graduation. For this, they are given OPT work permit. However, the US government may soon tighten the rules regarding this, which will affect Indian students.

Indian students and professionals in the US are concerned about restrictions on the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT is considered the most important way to gain work experience in the US and get an H-1B visa. Ever since Donald Trump became president, there has been a demand to end this program, calling it harmful for American workers. Due to this, thousands of Indian students are caught in a web of uncertainty regarding job prospects.

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Indian students go to America to study on F-1 student visa. Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) programs have been most important for them. Through these, they gain work experience in America and eventually get a work visa. In the 2022-2023 academic year, about 69,000 Indian students participated in the OPT program. However, there is a danger of ending this program under the government of US President Trump. If this happens, the future of thousands of students will be ruined.

What is OPT and CPT?

Through OPT, students are allowed to work in the US before and after graduation. They have the option to work for 12 months. Students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths i.e. STEM field also get an extension of 24 months. In this way, they are able to work in the US for 36 months i.e. three years.

Some courses require work experience, for which CPT is designed. The course affiliation allows students to work both part-time and full-time. However, students who work full-time for 12 months under CPT are ineligible for OPT. Both programs require approval from Designated School Officials (DSOs).

Why are OPT and CPT programs under scrutiny?

At a US House Judiciary Committee hearing on January 22, 2025, Jessica M. Vaughn, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, criticized OPT and CPT. She described both programs as unauthorized by Congress and diploma mills issuing fake work authorizations. Vaughn demanded that they should be abolished and closely monitored.
Vaughn said these programs have created the largest population of guest workers in the US, with 540,000 alumni working without supervision. In 2022, a workers alliance called WashTech filed a lawsuit claiming that OPT allows companies to exceed the limit on H-1B visas, harming American workers.
John Feere, the former chief of staff of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has highlighted several concerns. Feere recommended limiting OPT to areas where practical training is necessary for all students, not just international students. He said it is also important to ensure that it is used for education rather than becoming a cheap labor source.

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