The Trump administration is circling back on a cornerstone for foreign graduates: the Optional Practical Training (OPT) scheme. DHS’s renewed evaluation targets this F-1 work authorization, probing its fit within US economic safeguards, revenue streams, and defense imperatives amid booming enrollment.
Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem informed Senator Eric Schmitt via letter that the agency is auditing OPT’s timelines and parameters. Echoing Trump’s immigration pivot, the focus is ensuring programs empower US laborers and honor legislative blueprints, not just regulatory tweaks.
Indian scholars, exceeding 300,000 strong, lean heavily on OPT—12 months standard, 24 more for STEM—to kickstart careers. Noem flagged participation surges creating exploitable gaps, with enforcement bodies now fortifying defenses.
Notably, OPT stems from rules, not core law, per Noem—a point Schmitt hammered as a ‘benefit-by-bureaucracy’ needing validation or excision. This slots into expansive Trump probes of employment immigration, zeroing on non-statutory expansions.
India’s dominance in F-1 stats amplifies the ripple effects, possibly dimming the US as a post-study launchpad. As policymakers deliberate, the tension between welcoming skilled minds and shielding domestic opportunities defines the discourse.