2 days ago
Last Updated:January 02, 2025, 23:57 IST
The US Tech Workers have demanded Donald Trump to scrap the OPT programme, claiming it is being misused to get H-1B visa. They claimed that locals graduates are being subjected to "unfair competition".
The US provides a wide array of visa options for Indians
Donald Trump’s supporters backing his idea of ‘Make America Great Again’ have taken on the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme which is seen as a gateway for international students, including those from India, seeking an H-1B visa.
The OPT programme permits international students to gain work experience in the US after graduation, further paving the way for the grant of an H-1B visa which lets skilled foreign nationals be employed for another six years in America.
OPT is popular among students who go to the US for higher education. Indian students make up the largest international community in the country and remain one of the biggest aspirants.
US Seeks To End Work Permits For Students
The OPT programme is now under scrutiny as concerns over foreign workers taking up jobs in the US grow. People argue that the OPT programme is being used as a long-term immigration pathway to fill American jobs.
Initially intended for short-term skill development, the OPT programme allows foreign students holding F-1 visas to work in the United States for up to three years, provided they possess a STEM degree.
The local population have criticised it, claiming that the programme operates without Congressional approval, giving competition to the local graduates in jobs. Some even dubbed it a “backdoor" entry into the US job market.
US Tech Workers Group Opposes OPT Programme
The United States Tech Workers group has come out in open opposition of the programme and said that it was meant to provide “short-term" opportunity to international students to work in the US and then go back to their home countries.
“OPT was originally a 1-year work permit for international students graduating from U.S. colleges to gain U.S. work experience to take back to their home countries. It was never meant as a permanent immigration pathway, but rather a short-term opportunity for skill development," it said in a lengthy thread on X.
“After STEM-OPT was introduced, the number of international students, particularly from India and China, skyrocketed. Universities actively advertised STEM-OPT to attract these students, seeing them as a lucrative source of revenue," the group added.
After STEM-OPT was introduced, the number of international students, particularly from India and China, skyrocketed. Universities actively advertised STEM-OPT to attract these students, seeing them as a lucrative source of revenue. pic.twitter.com/b7i0tN6zmj— U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) December 30, 2024
It said that the OPT programme is a “guest worker scheme disguised as an internship for foreign students".
“Universities are selling work permits instead of education. Created illegally like DACA, Trump should end OPT to protect American college grads from unfair competition," the post said.
Indian students heavily depend on the programme for professional growth and as a pathway to secure H-1B visas. In 2023, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) challenged the program in court, arguing that it disadvantages American workers. However, a lower court’s decision upheld the program’s validity.
Impact On Indian Students
As the OPT programme allows international students who are in the US on F-1 visas to work for up to 12 months in an area “directly related" to their area of study, its cancellation may impact those Indians willing to enter the US job market through higher education in the country.
students enrolled full-time in the US for at least one academic year are eligible to apply for OPT. Those with a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) can extend their post-completion OPT by an additional 24 months, allowing them to work in the US for a total of three years. The USCIS provides a list of degree programmes eligible for this extension.
The US, as an attractive study-abroad destination for Indians, may take a hit if the OPT programme is scrapped by the government.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:January 02, 2025, 23:57 IST
News world US Tech Workers Seek End To Foreign Student Work Permits Amid H-1B Debate, May Impact Indians
