OPT
Optional Practical Training rules for F-1 graduates — 12-month OPT, 24-month STEM extension, application timelines, employer requirements, unemployment limits, and cap-gap provisions.
ICE Flags 10,000 Foreign Students in STEM OPT Visa Misuse Probe
ICE flags 10,000 students for OPT visa misuse in 2026, targeting shell companies and status violations. Affected F-1 holders face SEVIS termination and removal.
Homeland Security Proposes Fixed Visa Terms, Threatening Optional Practical Training
DHS proposes replacing 'duration of status' with fixed stay limits for F, J, and I visas in 2026,…
USCIS Runs Beneficiary-Centric H-1B Lottery, Cutting Duplicates as Demand Persists
USCIS adopts a beneficiary-centric H-1B lottery for 2026, reducing duplicate registrations and focusing on case quality over registration…
F-1 Students Risk Losing STEM OPT by Misreporting Self-Employment in SEVIS
Learn how F-1 students can use self-employment and consulting to maintain OPT status and stay within the 90-day…
USCIS Backlog Freezes 12,000 Students as STEM OPT Extension and OPT Adjudications Stall
International students in 2026 face OPT delays and rising fees, making immigration timing a critical factor for job…
Microsoft Layoff Forces Indian Tech Worker Home as F-1-To-H-1B Visa Path Falters
Indian tech workers are leaving the U.S. for India to escape visa instability and job insecurity following layoffs,…
House Republicans Propose 3-Year H-1B Pause and $200,000 Salary Rule in 2026
Rep. Eli Crane proposes the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, seeking a 3-year visa pause and…
Stanford Graduate Builds Six-Figure PR Firm Under F-1 and OPT Work Rules
After failing to land a full-time job, Stanford graduate Ellen Yang built Punctuation PR into a six-figure agency.…
Trump Administration Intensifies Surprise Site Checks on 100,000 OPT Students
The Trump administration expands OPT oversight with unannounced residence visits and stricter 2026 reporting rules to protect the…
Senator Eric Schmitt Urges Homeland Security to Review Optional Practical Training Rules
U.S. lawmakers clash over the OPT program, debating whether to codify post-graduate work rights into law or terminate…