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In the USA, the struggle over the Optional Practical Training program is intensifying — a system that allows international students to work after completing their studies. While some politicians propose enshrining it into law, others are pushing for a review and tightening of the rules.
Previously, a group of congressmen introduced the Keep Innovators in America Act, which is intended to enshrine OPT in the Immigration and Nationality Act and protect it from possible cancellation. The initiators believe that the program plays an important role in the economy: it helps retain talented graduates, supports innovation, and fills the shortage of specialists in key industries. Currently, nearly 300,000 people participate in OPT. This position is also supported by educational organizations that directly depend on the influx of international students.
At the same time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reassessing the program, analyzing how OPT affects the labor market and national security issues. The reason was complaints from some politicians: in particular, Senator Schmitt believes that foreign specialists may displace American graduates, that OPT is used by companies as a source of cheaper labor, that the risk of fraud is high, and that oversight is insufficient.
OPT has long been an important part of the American educational and economic systems: it allows foreign graduates to remain in the country for up to one year after completing their studies, and for technical specialties the period can be extended by another two years. Nearly half of the program's participants are students from India, followed by citizens of China.
OPT supporters emphasize its contribution to the economy: according to their estimates, the possible cancellation of the program could lead to losses of $220 billion to $440 billion over the next ten years.
Currently, two opposing positions have formed around OPT:
- Some insist on preserving and enshrining the program to ensure stability and an influx of talent,
- Others demand tightening or revision, citing the protection of the domestic labor market.
The outcome of this standoff remains unclear, but it is already evident that the future of OPT will be an important factor both for American universities and for thousands of international students planning careers in the United States.
