How US bill to end post-study work permit would impact Indian students
Under US President Donald Trump's administration, change often comes wrapped in controversy. This time it is for Indian students and other foreign students in the US, who are in the eye of the storm. A new bill introduced in Congress called the Fairness for High-Skilled American Act 2025 aims to scrap the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
The OPT program allows F-1 visa holders to work in the US for up to three years after completing their graduation, especially in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For thousands of Indian students pursuing higher education and hoping to become part of the US job market, this new change, if it happens, will close a crucial gateway.
If the bill passes, students will have to immediately apply for the H-1B visa upon graduation, a highly competitive visa. The F-1 and M-1 visa holders are anxious and confused about what the future holds. While the F-1 visa is for academic students pursuing higher education, the M-1 visa is for vocational or non-academic studies, both visa categories are non-immigrant and do not guarantee long-term employment prospects.
On the other hand, the H-1B, also a non-immigrant visa allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers.
According to the Open Doors Report 2024, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE), there were over 3 lakh Indian students in the US in the 2023-24 academic year out of which at least a third of them were eligible for OPT. However, that number has already begun to fall. As per the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a report maintained by the US Department of Homeland Security, a sharp decline can be seen in Indian students where the numbers dropped from 3,48,446 in July 2024 to 2,55,447 in August 2024.
The news about the scraping off OPT came at a particularly sensitive time, when the US’s academic year is about to start and also amidst a series of anti-immigration moves promised by Donald Trump during his election campaign, including mass deportations and tougher visa restrictions.
For Indian students, who already invest heavily in foreign education—often paying more than twice the tuition fees that domestic students pay—the scrapping of OPT will strip away the advantage of choosing the US. Now, without the possibility of work post-graduation and visa denials, countries like Canada and the UK will emerge as more attractive options.
In an increasingly globalised world, education is not just about degrees—it's about opportunity. And if the doors of opportunity start closing in the US, students won’t stop—they’ll simply look elsewhere.
India