America could scrap OPT placing Indian expertise in danger: Can the US tech financial system survive the blow?
Within the energy corridors of Washington, the Optionally available Sensible Coaching (OPT) programme is being recast—not as a bridge between world expertise and American alternative—however as a backdoor for job theft. H.R. 2315, a invoice with anti-immigrant optics and financial blind spots, seeks to terminate post-study work rights for worldwide college students on F-1 visas. Referred to as the “Equity for Excessive-Expert Individuals Act of 2023”, it was launched by Republican Congressman Paul Gosar on April 10, 2023, and continues to be below committee evaluate as of mid-2025. Spearheading the crackdown are voices like Jessica Vaughan of the Heart for Immigration Research, who has termed OPT a “shadow guestworker programme,” and Joseph B. Edlow, newly confirmed USCIS Director, testified that he plans to “take away the power for employment authorizations for F‑1 college students past the time that they’re at school. ” For them, OPT isn’t merely a flawed visa extension—it’s a systemic loophole ripe for repeal.However pause the narrative of freeloaders and fraud. As a result of if OPT disappears, it’s not India that can bleed probably the most. It’s America. And never in idea—in payrolls, patents, and productiveness.
The Numbers: A actuality verify, straight from SEVIS
In keeping with the 2024 SEVIS “By the Numbers” report (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement),
- 194,554 college students had been on OPT final yr—a 21.1% improve from 2023.
- 95,384 college students had been on
STEM-OPT (a 24-month extension for tech and science graduates). - Indian college students accounted for 48% of all STEM-OPT contributors—that’s practically 45,800 engineers, coders, analysts, and scientists powering American companies.
So, for each two highly-skilled STEM graduates working within the US on OPT extensions, one is Indian.The overall Indian share throughout all OPT classes is conservatively estimated between 25–30%, suggesting roughly 49,000 to 58,000 Indian college students are in American workforces proper now below OPT.
OPT isn’t robbing Individuals of their jobs: It’s sustaining America’s tech empire
Critics typically argue that OPT undercuts US graduates. What they overlook is that America’s tech financial system runs on world talent, and it’s Indian college students who typically shoulder the lion’s share of the load.Think about this:
- Amazon employed 5,379 OPT college students and 6,632 STEM-OPT extension staff in 2024 alone (supply: ICE SEVIS Employer Knowledge, 2024).
- Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla comply with go well with with hundreds extra hires from the identical pool.
- Citigroup, Oracle, Bloomberg, Qualcomm, NVIDIA are additionally amongst high STEM-OPT employers.
These are usually not internships or coffee-fetching gigs. These are roles in AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, sustainable vitality, and algorithmic finance. These are the engines of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
What occurs if India loses OPT?
Let’s be clear—it should damage Indian college students. OPT is their runway to repay loans, acquire expertise, and construct world careers.
- Estimates recommend that the typical Indian pupil spends $60,000–$100,000 on a US STEM diploma. With out OPT, the ROI vanishes.
- Their post-study pathways collapse—no work expertise, no H-1B bridge, no long-term settlement.
- Over 28% of Indian enrolment dropped year-on-year (Mar 2024–Mar 2025), based on SEVIS information analysed by Boston School’s Chris Glass—an early warning of coverage impression.
However right here’s the uncomfortable fact: Indian expertise will reroute. Indian remittances will stabilise.
When America loses OPT, what truly breaks?
Not simply pupil desires—America’s tech future, college funding, and innovation pipeline all begin to collapse.
College Income
With out OPT, U.S. universities develop into overpriced diplomas with out job prospects. Why would anybody pay $100,000 for a level that ends in deportation? NAFSA estimates worldwide college students (led by Indians) contribute $33 billion to the US financial system yearly. Kill OPT, and watch that money vanish.
Tech Expertise
There’s a motive why the Enterprise Roundtable, TechNet, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have all opposed H.R. 2315. It’s not compassion—it’s code. With out Indian information scientists, machine studying engineers, and cloud architects, your subsequent Google replace could be 12 months late.
Begin-up Innovation
From Sundar Pichai (Google) to Arvind Krishna (IBM), from scores of MIT PhDs to Carnegie Mellon AI researchers—many started their journey with an F-1 visa and OPT. Take away that step, and you narrow off tomorrow’s unicorns on the root.
OPT isn’t a loophole, it’s a ladder
These cheering for OPT’s finish argue it’s a “backdoor to employment.” Effectively, America by no means promised citizenship to worldwide college students—nevertheless it promised alternative. OPT isn’t a charity. It’s an earned bridge, after two years of exorbitantly priced schooling, rigorous vetting, and visa scrutiny.
The underside line: Who truly loses?
Indian college students lose jobs, loans, and peace of thoughts. America loses competitiveness, labour, and credibility.However whereas Indian households can pivot to Canada, or Germany’s tuition-free STEM levels, America can not outsource innovation at will.With out OPT, the US schooling system turns into a worldwide product with no after-sales service. And if prospects stroll away, don’t blame China or quotas—blame coverage cannibalism.
