International students under threat as bill in the U.S. causes worry for companies such as Amazon and Tesla that depend on their talent.
A bill introduced in the U.S. Congress, the "Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2023," has raised concerns within the tech and academic communities. The bill, proposed by Congressman Paul Gosar, aims to eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, a scheme that allows international students on F-1 visas to work temporarily in the U.S. after graduation, particularly in STEM fields.
The OPT program is a crucial stepping stone for many international students, providing a bridge to gain U.S.-based work experience and potentially transition to H-1B visas for longer-term employment. Tech giants such as Amazon and Tesla heavily rely on this talent pool, with Amazon employing 5,379 OPT students in 2024, and Tesla around 1,170. Goldman Sachs, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft each hired over 1,000 OPT participants in the same year.
The majority of these international students were in STEM disciplines, highlighting the program's significance for the tech sector. However, the proposed bill could potentially cause these graduates to leave the U.S., impacting the U.S. tech sector's competitiveness and innovation.
In calendar year 2024, a total of 194,554 international students were actively working in the United States under the OPT program. This number represents a 21% rise from the previous year, indicating the growing importance of the OPT program for international graduates.
The bill has been criticized by figures like Jessica Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies, who has described OPT as a "shadow guestworker program." Joseph B. Edlow, the newly appointed director of USCIS, has also expressed a desire to "remove the ability for employment authorizations for F-1 students beyond the time that they are in school."
If the "Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2023" is implemented, it could potentially shut down one of the key pathways for Indian students to apply their skills in the American workforce after graduation. The 2024 SEVIS by the Numbers report published by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows that Indian students form the largest group utilizing the OPT program.
The Financial Express reported on the expanded hiring of international graduates through OPT by leading tech companies in the U.S. in 2024. The report underlines the increasing dependence of U.S. tech and finance industries on international talent provided by the OPT program. The specifics of how the bill's Visa Integrity Fee might affect the OPT program are not detailed in the provided text.
In conclusion, the "Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2023" aims to end the OPT program, which could have significant implications for the U.S. tech and academic sectors. The OPT program is currently a vital pathway for thousands of international STEM graduates, particularly many Indians, to gain work experience in the U.S. and potentially transition to longer-term employment. The potential loss of this talent pool could impact the U.S. tech sector's competitiveness and innovation.
The elimination of the OPT program, as proposed by the "Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2023," could impact U.S. politics, sparking debates about immigration policies and their influence on education-and-self-development. If implemented, this bill could potentially affect technology sector's competitiveness and innovation, considering the program's significance for attracting international talent in STEM fields.
