More Than 3 Lakh Indian Students' Future in Jeopardy As US Congress Considers Radical Changes In Work Visa Policies

The US Congress is considering a bill that could abolish the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, and there is mounting panic among Indian students who come to American universities for higher studies. OPT enables international students to work in the US for a year upon graduation and two years of extension for STEM graduates who work for eligible US companies. But if the pending bill becomes law, this path can be suddenly shut down, and thousands of students will be stranded without a means to stay or transfer to another visa.

As per the Open Doors 2024 report, this allows more than three lakh Indians to work in the US. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students pursuing studies in the US from India and other places are threatened with being forced to leave the country once they complete their studies after US Congress proposed a new bill. While earlier such efforts have been unsuccessful, this bill arrives during a string of anti-immigrant steps, including bulk deportations, by the administration as Donald Trump completes his campaign vow to heighten measures that started in his first term.

In accordance with some analysts, this bill has frightened current F-1 and M-1 student visa holders who are frantically looking for work that could lead to the status of an H-1B work visa, sponsored mostly by big US and Indian tech firms.

If the bill is passed, OPT could be abolished without a cushion, and students would have to leave the US right away," Poorvi Chothani, the managing partner of immigration law firm LawQuest told Economic Times. "Non-STEM graduates already have to leave within a year of finishing their course," he said.

Chothani urged current OPT holders to hasten their transition to the H-1B work visa if they are selected in the lottery or explore options in other countries. New foreign students, however, may need to prepare themselves to deal with policies such as the UK's, where graduates must leave the country after finishing courses.

Indian students reworking holiday plans

Concerns over travel restrictions have also led Indian students to cancel summer vacations back home. Ivy League schools like Columbia, Cornell, and Yale have also told foreign students to avoid traveling until further guidance on the issue.

Though the US is still the number one study-abroad destination for Indian students, the stricter visa policies implemented by the Trump administration have brought about a shift. Experts note a 20 per cent rise in applications to Canada and European nations for the 2025 and 2026 intake years.

Economic and talent impact

International students brought over forty-three billion dollars into the US economy and funded over three lakh seventy-eight jobs in the 2023–24 academic year alone, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The opponents of the bill warn that eliminating OPT will drive high-skilled talent abroad.

The majority of companies hire OPT candidates because they are talented—not to cut costs," said Keshav Singhania, private clients head at Singhania & Co. "Taking away OPT would lead to a massive talent outflow." US universities are stepping in to reassure nervous students. "Universities are booking appointments with immigration attorneys and establishing peer networks to navigate the uncertainty," Foreign Admits founder Nikhil Jain told ET.