US is likely to terminate the much-popular Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students. US authorities have taken a formal move to discontinue the OPT program, which allows international students to acquire work experience in US corporations after completing their studies at US universities.
Department of Homeland Security(DHS) listed the new OPT rule on the Unified Agenda, proposing that the new “rule will better align practical training to the goals and objectives of the program while providing more clarity to the public.
The proposed rule will amend existing regulations to address fraud and national security concerns, protect U.S. workers from being displaced by foreign nationals, and enhance the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s capacity to oversee the program.”
The Optional Practical Training program has received strong criticism from the American workforce sector, who claim that it takes employment away from Americans while benefiting foreign students and workers.
The primary criticism of the OPT program is that it was created through regulation rather than by the US Congress, leading to concerns that it functions as a large temporary worker program lacking protections for U.S. workers.
The Trump administration is also likely to implement a number of stricter measures to make the entry of international students more difficult.
US lawmakers have already proposed the ‘Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025,’ which aims to abolish the Optional Practical Training Program. Representative Paul A. Gosar had stated that the OPT program disadvantages American workers by permitting employers to opt for lower-cost foreign labor.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has also expressed his support for ending the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which permits foreign graduates to work in America post-study.
Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies at the Center, had also proposed that Congress review visa categories, including Optional Practical Training, to determine the need for tighter management or its elimination.
Other US lawmakers have also proposed taxing the earnings of international students in the Optional Practical Training program by reversing their current exemption from FICA taxes.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a popular employment opportunity route for international students in the US, allowing them to gain work experience in American companies either during or after their studies.
F-1 nonimmigrant students can work up to 12 months in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which may be before or after graduation. Those with STEM degrees may apply for a 24-month extension of their OPT.
Earlier, DHS had also proposed to amend its regulations by changing the admission period of F, J, and I aliens from ‘duration of status’ to an admission for a ‘fixed time period’. Duration of status means you may remain in the United States so long as you maintain your non-immigrant student status.
Once international students complete their studies and any authorized period of practical training, they have 60 days after completion of their program to leave the United States. If they wish to extend their stay in the United States, they will have to apply to change status to another visa status, like H-1B-temporary worker or O-extraordinary ability in science, art or business visa.
There were around 200,000 international students on OPT and STEM OPT in the 2023/24 Academic Year. US immigration rule changes may reduce the appeal of studying and working in the country for international students. New enrollment is projected to fall by over 50% by Fall 2025, notably affecting Indian students, whose numbers could drop by nearly 50%.
NAFSA and JB International’s research indicates a potential 30-40 percent decline in new international student enrollment in the U.S. this fall, translating to a 15 percent drop in overall enrollment. This decline could lead to nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and over 60,000 fewer jobs.
International students were already facing a dual threat, with the US placing restrictions on their ‘stay period’ and secondly from the levy of taxes on their OPT earnings.
According to DHS’s proposed rule, the OPT program is unlikely to be terminated, but there may be stricter regulations implemented for hiring foreign students by U.S. companies.