Is OPT in Peril?

More than 100 U.S. colleges signed on to an amicus brief opposing a lawsuit that seeks to end the optional practical training program, which allows international students to work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduating while staying on their student visas.

Colleges say that ending the program would severely harm the ability of U.S. universities to attract international students. Other countries with which the U.S. competes for international students such as Australia and Canada offer poststudy work programs — the United Kingdom recently announced plans to expand poststudy work rights for international students — and research has documented a positive relationship between policies that allow students to work on a temporary basis after graduating and international student growth rates.

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