International students have not been impacted by Trump's latest move on Temporary Work Visas. The administration backed off plans to curtail optional practical training, the popular work program for international graduates, in the wake of a lobbying effort by colleges, employers, and even some Republican members of Congress.
Kiichiro Sato, AP Images
On Monday, June 22, 2020, President Trump signed a proclamation extending the 60-day freeze on work visas put in place back in April. The freeze will prevent foreigners from coming to the US through various type of visas, including H-1B; H-4; and J-1 visas. This will affect hundreds of thousands of people who had planned to come to the US.
The presidential proclamation, which was in the works for weeks, had been expected to include restrictions on optional practical training, or OPT, which allows students to work in a job related to their field for at least one year after graduation. However the administrative backed off on its original plans.
Colleges strongly opposed limits on the program, fearing they could further imperil already weakened international enrollments.
More than 70 student-government associations across the country had signed onto a letter asking the president not to repeal OPT. A group of House Republicans had also called for retaining the program.
The EO only targets foreign nationals who have NOT YET RECEIVED visas (H-1B, L-1, J-1, & H-2B).
— U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) June 22, 2020
The OPT program will NOT be part of the EO suspension because of limits of what the President can do under 212(f) of the INA because OPT grads are already in the country.
An opportunity to gain experience
Upon being asked, international students have found that the opportunity to gain work experience is very important in their decision to study in the United States. More than 223,000 students participated in OPT in the 2018 academic year, or one out of five student-visa holders. (Graduates remain on student visas while working.)
According to the American Council on Education, International students have contributed $33.2 billion annually, on average, to the U.S. economy over the last five years, and have long been seen as a funding source for higher education institutions.
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Tags: Trump H1B Visa Student
Tags: Trump H1B Visa Student
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