US May End OPT Program for Foreign Students

Hyderabad: An upcoming Trump administration rule, proposed by the US Department of Homeland Security, is expected to end or restrict the Optional Practical Training program meant for international students. Optional Practical Training, or OPT, allows international students in the US to work for 12 months in their field of study before or after completing their course requirements. Each year, around 250,000 students participate in OPT and STEM OPT, which provides an additional 24 months extension (beyond OPT) in a science, technology, engineering or math field. 

According to a recent report by Forbes, the immigration rule, listed on the public regulatory agenda, is expected to appear before the end of the year or in the first half of 2026.

This latest development follows other recent restrictions that have tightened rules for foreign students and H-1B visas in the US. In September, Trump administration officials had proposed a new immigration rule to change the H-1B selection process to favor senior-level candidates over recent international students.