Washington, D.C.— Joseph Edlow, President Donald Trump's nominee for Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced plans to terminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on May 21, 2025.
This proposal has raised significant concerns among international students, particularly the Indian diaspora, who rely on OPT for post-graduation work experience in the U.S.
Key Facts:
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Over 240,000 international students participated in OPT or STEM OPT during the 2023–24 academic year.
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Edlow aims to restrict work authorization to periods when students are actively enrolled, effectively ending post-graduation OPT.
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Indian students, numbering over 270,000 in the U.S., with approximately 69,000 on OPT, would be significantly impacted.
Edlow criticized the current administration's handling of OPT, stating that recent court decisions have led to a misapplication of the law.
He advocates for a regulatory overhaul to eliminate employment authorization for F-1 students beyond their academic enrollment.
This shift would dismantle a program that has been a cornerstone for international students seeking practical experience in their fields of study.
The Indian student community, heavily represented in STEM fields, faces uncertainty.
The potential loss of OPT could deter prospective students from choosing U.S. institutions, affecting both educational and professional aspirations.
Universities and tech companies express concern over losing access to a diverse and skilled talent pool.
OPT is the program that allows foreign students graduating with STEM degrees stay and work for up to three years. Because of the oversubscribed H-1B lottery, OPT is one of the main ways that foreign students manage to transition to jobs in the US. Ending it would destroy a major STEM pipeline.
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social) May 22, 2025 at 3:13 AM
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The broader implications include potential setbacks in the U.S.'s ability to attract global talent, impacting innovation and economic growth.
Stakeholders argue that eliminating OPT could undermine the country's competitive edge in science and technology sectors.
"Any rollback of OPT will severely harm international students and our ability to attract talented students from around the world, our nation’s global competitiveness, economic growth, national research capacity and future innovation," said Miriam Feldblum, Executive Director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.
As the nomination process continues, the future of OPT remains uncertain.
International students and educational institutions are closely monitoring developments, with potential policy changes prompting discussions on alternative pathways for practical training and employment.
Do You Know?
In 2019, Amazon employed over 2,800 international graduates on OPT and STEM OPT, making it the top employer for OPT participants that year.
Key Terms:
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Optional Practical Training (OPT): A program allowing F-1 visa students to work in their field of study for up to 12 months post-graduation; STEM graduates may extend this by 24 months.
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F-1 Visa: A non-immigrant visa for international students pursuing academic studies in the U.S.
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STEM OPT Extension: An additional 24-month work authorization for F-1 students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
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USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency overseeing lawful immigration to the United States.