An upcoming Trump administration rule is expected to end or restrict Optional Practical Training for international students. The immigration rule, listed on the public regulatory agenda, could appear before the end of the year or in the first half of 2026. It would be the latest measure that critics say is aimed at discouraging international students from coming to the United States and working after graduation. The rule would contradict the sentiments Donald Trump expressed in 2024, when he said on a podcast he wanted all international students to stay and work in America.
Optional Practical Training allows international students to work for 12 months in their field of study before or after completing their course requirements. STEM OPT allows students to gain practical experience through working an additional 24 months (beyond OPT) in a science, technology, engineering or math field. For many immigration opponents, ending OPT and STEM OPT is primarily about preventing international students from obtaining H-1B status. The Bush administration favored granting international students an additional 24 months on STEM OPT to improve their chances in the annual H-1B lottery.
According to the Institute of International Education, there were 242,782 international students on OPT and STEM OPT in the 2023/24 Academic Year. DHS lists a figure of 505,590 SEVIS records with “authorization to participate” in OPT and STEM OPT in 2024. DHS and IIE have not explained the difference between the two numbers, but one factor is that DHS data are for the full calendar year and IIE uses a snapshot taken during a single academic year.
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A rule placed on the DHS regulatory agenda would change Optional Practical Training. “The proposed rule will better align practical training to the goals and objectives of the program while providing more clarity to the public,” according to the rule’s abstract. “The proposed rule will amend existing regulations to address fraud and national security concerns, protect U.S. workers from being displaced by foreign nationals, and enhance the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s capacity to oversee the program.” While Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for issuing the rule, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is viewed as the driving force behind it.
The Trump administration has already proposed measures that educators warn make the United States a less attractive destination for students pursuing academic programs. In August, DHS proposed a rule to restrict international students by replacing the current “duration of status” policy with fixed admission periods, which could make it more difficult for students to complete programs lasting more than four years. In September, Trump administration officials proposed a new immigration rule to change the H-1B selection process to favor senior-level candidates over recent international students. An upcoming rule will likely restrict H-1B visa eligibility for all types of foreign nationals.
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Efren Hernandez, until recently a supervisory policy analyst at USCIS and now the founder of EH3 Immigration Consulting, believes Optional Practical Training is on the chopping block. “If they can find a way to get rid of it, they will,” said Hernandez in an interview.
The Trump administration could seek to remove OPT and STEM OPT from current regulations entirely. Such a move would face a strong pushback and legal challenges from the education and business communities. Critics of OPT and STEM OPT argue that the programs can be removed because they are not explicitly authorized in statute.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow made clear during his confirmation hearing that he hopes to end the ability of international students to work on Optional Practical Training or STEM OPT after graduating from U.S. universities. {snip}
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Stephen Miller, the chief architect of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, has long opposed international students working in the United States. While on the staff of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Miller helped draft legislation that would have ended OPT and compelled international students to leave the United States for a decade (for undergraduates and master’s degree recipients) before they could work in H-1B status. Ph.D. recipients would have needed to gain two years of experience outside of America before obtaining an H-1B visa.
“Edlow will definitely work with Miller to kill the OPT system,” said Jon Wasden of Wasden Law in an interview.
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