After H-1B visa, Trump's Maga supporters oppose OPT programme: All we know

Supporters of Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' campaign are now lashing out at the Optional Practical Training program, often considered a precursor to H-1B visas

After H-1B visas, advocates of US President-elect Donald Trump’s 'Make America Great Again' (Maga) campaign have voiced strong criticism for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which is widely regarded as a stepping stone for international students aiming to secure H-1B visas.

 

The OPT programme allows international students in the US to gain temporary work experience, making them more competitive candidates for H-1B visas. The H-1B visa permits skilled foreign professionals to work in the US for up to six years. This programme is widely favoured by international students, with Indian nationals forming the largest group participating in this programme.

 

What is the OPT programme?

The OPT programme enables international students holding F-1 visas to work for up to 12 months in fields directly related to their area of study, as stated by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Students who have completed at least one academic year of full-time study in the US are eligible to apply for OPT.

 

Types of OPT

 

Pre-completion OPT: This allows students to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during academic sessions and full-time during breaks.

 

Post-completion OPT: This requires students to work at least 20 hours per week, with the option of full-time employment.

 

For those with degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM), an additional 24-month extension of post-completion OPT is available, enabling a total of three years of work authorisation. USCIS provides a list of STEM degree programmes eligible for this extension.

 

Students must be recommended by their academic institution to apply for OPT. Once authorised, they can work under F-1 visa status while participating in the programme.

How many students participate in the OPT programme?

According to the 2023-24 Open Doors report, 242,000 international students, or 27.47 per cent of the total 883,000 international students in the US, were enrolled in the OPT programme.

 

Among Indian students, the numbers have been steadily increasing. In 2023-24, as many as 97,556 out of 331,000 Indian students (29.42 per cent) were in the OPT programme, compared to 69,062 in 2022-23 and 68,188 in 2021-22.

 

STEM courses remain a popular choice for Indian students, largely due to the OPT extension. In 2023-24, around 42.9 per cent of Indian students were pursuing mathematics or computer science, while 24.5 per cent were enrolled in engineering programmes.

Why are Maga supporters opposing the OPT programme?

Critics of the OPT program, particularly the STEM extension, argue that it takes job opportunities away from American workers. In 2023, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) challenged the legality of the STEM OPT extension in the US Supreme Court. However, the court declined to review a lower court ruling that upheld the programme's validity, according to a report by The Indian Express.

 

The STEM OPT extension was expanded under the Obama administration, increasing the maximum duration from 29 to 36 months. This policy change has been a point of contention among those opposing the programme.