Department of Homeland Security(DHS) submitted a proposal to Senate Judiciary Committee for extending the period of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for International F1 Visa students.

Currently under OPT program, International students with F1 visa status are allowed to work in the US for 12-months in the field of their study after their graduation and International graduate students with degrees in the field of STEM( Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are allowed to request for an OPT extension of 17-months.

Here are the new OPT regulation rules proposed by the DHS:

1. To extend the OPT period up to two 24-months, apart from the original 12-month OPT period for the International F1 Visa students with degrees in STEM field. Thus providing up to 6-years of OPT period.
2. To grant 24-month extension of OPT period for the international F1 visa students with degrees in non-STEM fields.

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In the recent times, many international graduate students are forced to leave the country as their H-1B visa didn’t pick up in the lottery system within their OPT period. If this new opt regulation proposal gets approved, then International graduate students will be majorly benefitted as they will get 6-years of post-graduation employment on student visa.