OPT
Get the latest on OPT for graduates – essential tips, application guidelines, and updates on work permits for international students in the U.S.
Missouri Senator Seeks OPT Overhaul, Calls It a Cheap Labor Pipeline
Senator Eric Schmitt urged DHS to end or reform OPT on November 15, 2025, calling it a cheap-labor pipeline. OPT grants 12 months of work plus a 24-month STEM extension.…
OPT Restrictions Move Forward: H.R. 2315 Aims to End OPT
DHS is drafting rules that may curtail or end F-1 OPT and STEM-OPT, with a proposal expected by…
Future of OPT: International Students and U.S. Universities Must Do
OPT and its STEM-OPT extension face possible elimination or restriction via H.R. 2315 and DHS rulemaking. Ending FICA…
Is SEVP Back to Normal Operations After the Shutdown?
Because SEVP is fee-funded, it stayed operational through the shutdown. Schools and AILA reported uninterrupted SEVIS access, continued…
What International Students Should Do If OPT Is Delayed by a Shutdown
Shutdown-related slowdowns are delaying physical EAD and SSN cards after online OPT approvals, pushing back F‑1 students’ start…
How the 2025 Government Shutdown Impacts F-1 Visa, OPT, and CPT
Fee-funded USCIS, consular operations, and SEVIS will keep processing F-1 visas, OPT, and CPT during the 2025 shutdown,…
From F-1 to H-1B: A Practical Guide for U.S. Employment
New rules add a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions starting September 21, 2025, and shift selection toward…
Banks and Grassley Urge End to OPT Program, Trump Administration
Banks and Grassley pressed the administration to end OPT, which grants F‑1 graduates post‑study work (12 months plus…
F-1 OPT Student Trapped in Fraud: How to Exit Safely
Federal agents are conducting unannounced employer checks to expose fake OPT jobs and sham training plans. USCIS, ICE…
F-1 OPT Travelers to India Face Re-Entry Anxiety, Docs Scrutiny
Rising re-entry anxiety is causing Indian F-1 students on OPT to postpone trips home. Inconsistent border treatment—even with…