The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released good news for students who are studying in the U.S. or intending to do so. They released an interim final rule that extends the period of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for qualified F-1 non-immigrant students from the current 12 months to a maximum of 29 months. The extension will be available to F-1 students with a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and who are employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify program.
The new rule provide some relief for US companies seeking to attract and retain highly skilled foreign workers. Under the prior regulations students were granted a maximum of 12 months of OPT so would often be required to leave the US, even when they were the beneficiary of an approved H-1B petition. DHS estimates that approximately 12,000 students will take advantage of the STEM extension. DHS records indicate that there are approximately 70,000 students currently in OPT and, of those, about 23,000 received degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) fields.
What is the OPT?
OPT is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study. It is designed to be a practical experience component for foreign students receiving their education in the U.S. Under the prior rules, an F-1 student could be authorized to receive up to a total of 12 months of practical training either before (pre-) and/or after (post-) completion of studies. Any authorized OPT must be directly related to the student's major area of study.