Lakhs of indian students in the US are in trouble...?
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an important part of the US immigration system. It helps foreign students studying on F-1 visa to gain work experience for 1 to 3 years after completing the course. It is considered very important especially for students studying in STEM (Science, technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. This program acts as a bridge for H-1B work visa.
The duration of standard OPT is 12 months. With the help of STEM OPT extension, the time increases to 24 months. However, a bill presented in the US congress in early 2025 has sought to end the OPT program completely. This proposal has been introduced under the protection of the US labor market and anti-immigrant strategies. If this bill is passed, it could end the career prospects of millions of foreign students.
There will be problems due to the absence of OPT program
If the OPT program is completely abolished, then students may have to face many problems. Its biggest impact can be seen on indian students. Its abolition will cause many problems, which are as follows.
Access to H-1B visa will be limited.
The chance of gaining work experience will end.
The path to career in the US will be closed for STEM students.
The possibility of repaying the loan will become negligible for students.
Poorvi Chothani, a leading immigration lawyer on the matter, says that if the bill is passed, students may have to leave the US immediately.
Impact on indian students
According to the Open Doors 2024 report, 331,602 indian students are studying in the US in 2023-24, out of which about 97,556 are part of the OPT program. This shows that this law will affect students from countries like india the most, as they enroll in STEM fields on a large scale. Without OPT, there will be no US salary, which will make it difficult to repay student loans. There will be uncertainty in future education plans. people associated with science and technology will migrate from America. Multinational companies may face a shortage of skilled talent.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel