In a move that could affect thousands of international graduates, the Trump administration is taking a fresh look at a key work programme used by foreign students in the United States.
The fight over the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program has been building quietly for years. Now, it has moved to the center of Washington’s immigration debate. After Senator Eric Schmitt raised “severe problems” with OPT, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded with a clear commitment.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that it is re-evaluating the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. This programme allows students on F-1 visas to work in the US after finishing their studies. Any change to it could have a direct impact on students, especially from countries like India.
There are more than 300,000 Indian students currently in the US, and many of them depend on OPT after graduation to gain work experience.
DHS re-evaluating OPT program
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared the update in a letter to Senator Eric Schmitt. Noem said DHS is reviewing whether the current system, including how long students can work and what kind of work they can do, “appropriately serves US labor market, tax, and national security interests and remains aligned with congressional intent.”
She also wrote, “DHS is committed to ensuring that immigration programs operate in the interests of American workers and to protecting US national security interests.” Noem acknowledged that there has been “the significant increase in the number of foreign student visa holders engaged in practical training programs and the potential risks and challenges.”
According to her, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program “understands these difficulties and is taking action to mitigate vulnerabilities and address your concerns.”
Possible OPT rule changes ahead
“DHS has indicated it intends to re-evaluate practical training regulatory requirements for foreign student visa holders through a rulemaking,” Noem wrote. She also said that the proposal has been included in the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda.
She explained what the new rule could aim to do. “The rule would propose to amend existing practical training regulations to protect US workers from being displaced by foreign nationals, address fraud and national security concerns, and enhance the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s capacity to oversee the program.
In her letter, Noem said that the OPT programme and similar training options “were established through regulation rather than direct statutory text.” She added, “Consistent with President Trump’s direction and the administration’s America First immigration policy, DHS is reevaluating whether the current regulatory framework, including the scope and duration of practical training, appropriately serves US labor market, tax, and national security interests and remains aligned with congressional intent.”
This means the administration is not just reviewing how OPT works, but also whether it fits with what lawmakers originally intended.
What is OPT?
The Optional Practical Training programme allows students on F-1 visas to work in the United States for up to 12 months after completing their degree. Students who graduate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields can apply for a 24-month extension. This means many students can stay and work for up to three years after finishing college.
For many Indian students, OPT, especially the STEM extension, serves as a bridge to longer-term work visas like the H-1B.
In an earlier letter to DHS and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Senator Schmitt described OPT as a “work benefit” created by regulation rather than by Congress through a law. He urged the department to conduct a “thorough review” and begin the process of either reforming or ending the programme. He warned that OPT “distorts our higher education system, incentivizes colleges to become ‘visa mills’ and poses a serious threat to our national security and prosperity.”
Bigger immigration debate
This review comes at a time when the Trump administration is taking a closer look at employment-based immigration routes under its “America First” policy approach. For countries like India, which send large numbers of students to US universities every year, the outcome of this review could be very important. Indian nationals are among the biggest recipients of F-1 visas, and many depend on OPT and the STEM extension to gain US work experience and eventually apply for longer-term visas such as the H-1B.