3 Lakh Indian Students in US to Face Deportation? New Bill on OPT Program Raises Concerns

In a significant blow to Indian students living in the US, more than 300,000 of them face the threat of having to leave the country once their studies are done after a bill was introduced in Congress to eliminate Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization.

OPT permits them to remain in the US for a year following their graduation. look for a job. Students of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the ones who are facing the threat of leaving the U.S.

This move by the Congress has definitely panicked existing F-1 and M-1 student visa holders who are desperately looking for jobs that can guarantee them an H-1B work visa, which are primarily sponsored by large US and Indian technology companies.

According to the Open Doors 2024 report, there were more than 300,000 Indians in America in the 2023-24 academic year, with a third of them being eligible for OPT.

This bill comes right after mass deportations by the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. as Donald Trump fulfills the promises he made ahead of his second presidential term.

The bill puts limits on the OPT program. Under this bill, a non-US national can only participate in the program for four months with no extensions available. The current rule allows individuals to participate in the program for a total of one year with full-time employment.