Nearly 48 per cent of the students getting authorisations to participate in STEM OPT in 2024 were Indians.
The United States is undertaking surprise inspections and site checks of foreign students currently undergoing the optional practical training (OPT) programme in that country.
This comes days after Republican Senator Jim Banks introduced the 'American Tech Workforce Act,' which proposed an end to the OPT system.
Indian students undergoing their OPT are keeping a close watch, as it allows international students on F-1 visas to work for a temporary period in the US.
Many Indians, especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, use OPT to gain practical experience before applying for an H-1B visa.
Indian students pursuing OPT doubled in 2023-2024
The share of Indian students pursuing OPT has nearly doubled from 22.12 per cent in 2006-2007 to over 40 per cent in 2023-2024.
Indians got 68.58 per cent of the H-1B visas issued by the US in the financial year 2023-2024 (October-September).
Indians made up nearly half of STEM-OPT in 2024
Nearly 48 per cent of the students getting authorisations to participate in STEM OPT in 2024 were Indians.
Amazon employed largest cohort of students
Amazon employed the maximum students -- at over 10,000 -- pursuing OPT or STEM-OPT in 2024, whereas Tata Consultancy Services, the second-largest employer of H-1B visa holders in FY25, employed only 851 students.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
© 2025