US begins review of OPT programme that allows graduates to work after study

US government begins reassessing OPT programme that lets international graduates work after study, citing labour market, fraud and national security concerns

The United States government has begun reviewing the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows international students to work in the country after graduation, citing concerns about its impact on American workers, potential fraud and national security.

 

The US Department of Homeland Security said it is reassessing whether the current regulatory framework governing the programme aligns with labour market needs, tax rules and national security interests. In a letter dated January 9, then Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the department was examining whether the programme “appropriately serves US labour market, tax, and national security interests and remains aligned with congressional intent.”

   

“We are aware of the increase in the number of foreign student visa holders engaged in practical training programmes and the potential risks and challenges,” she said, adding that the government is committed to protecting the interests of American workers.

 

The review, shared by Senator Eric Schmitt on February 26 on his portal, follows a request from the senator seeking a re-evaluation of OPT and its STEM extension.

 

Schmitt criticised the programme, describing it as a “cheap labour pipeline for big business” and arguing that it acts as a backdoor for foreign workers entering the US job market.

 

“This system boxes young Americans out of the workforce, discriminates against American workers in favour of foreign labour, and suppresses job opportunities for US graduates,” he said.

 

The senator also argued that the programme encourages some institutions to operate as “visa mills” and distorts the US higher education system.

 

What he wrote in his letter to Noem and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow.

 

OPT program functions as a cheap-labour pipeline for big business, and a backdoor into the US job market for foreign workers. 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 labour, and suppresses wages and job opportunities for US graduates. At the same time, it distorts our higher education system, incentivises colleges to become ‘visa mills’, and poses a serious threat to our national security and prosperity. Americans never asked for, or even authorised, 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. This unfortunate exercise of executive action, however, means OPT can likely be overhauled or ended by executive action.

 

Senator Jim Banks also urged the Trump administration to terminate the programme.

 

"The programme is not authorised by Congress. It was established and has been maintained entirely by Deep State bureaucrats,” he said in a letter to Trump.

 

How the OPT programme works

 

Under OPT, international students studying on an F-1 visa can remain in the United States and work for up to 12 months after completing their studies.

 

Graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields can apply for an additional 24-month extension.

 

The programme has expanded in recent years. Nearly 295,000 international students were participating in OPT in the 2024–25 academic year