Amid the ongoing H-1B row, Missouri senator Eric Schmitt called the Optional Practical Training program a cheap labor pipeline for big business and urged the administration to either scrap it or to reform it so that it does not continue to deprive American graduates. OPT is a work authorization given to international students who are in the US on F-1 visas. They get to work in related fields of their degree while they are still finishing their degrees. Under this program, students can work in the US for three years without requiring any other visa. Schmitt wrote to the USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security that unless this is reformed, the backdoor entry of foreigners into US job market will continue. “OPT serves the financial interests of large corporations and academic institutions at the direct expense of young American workers and students. This system boxes young Americans out of the workforce, discriminates against American workers in favour of foreign labor, suppresses wages and job opportunities for US graduates,” the senator wrote. “At the same time, it distorts our higher education system, incentivizes colleges to become ‘visa mills’ and poses a serious threat to our national security and prosperity,” the senator wrote. “Americans never asked for, or even authorized, this program. OPT was created (and then expanded) by unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch, without the input or approval of Congress circumventing the caps and limits that govern employment-based visas,” Schmitt said.
How does OPT work?
F-1 students can work up to 12 months first during their studies or after they complete. If they are STEM students, they can get a 2-year extension. Students first request OPT through their university’s international office to get a new I-20, then apply to USCIS for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD); they can begin working only after the EAD start date. During OPT, students must work in their field, report employer details to their school, and cannot exceed the allowed unemployment days.
How is OPT linked to H-1B?
H-1B is a visa program meant for specially skilled foreign individuals. But OPT students can get their H-1B visa if their employers sponsors them. If the employer files an H-1B petition and the student is selected in the lottery, they can shift from F-1 OPT status to H-1B status. OPT acts as a bridge between the university and the companies, excluding American graduates entirely from the process.
