Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security released a Final Rule increasing STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) from 12 months to 36 months. For those who are not familiar, OPT is the period of time during which an undergraduate and graduate student in the U.S. on a student visa who have completed or who have been pursuing degrees for more than 9 months are permitted to work in the US. By allowing students to work in the U.S. while on a student visa, students are able to get hands on experience in their field in the U.S. before being required to apply for an additional visa. In doing so, we are encouraging the students that we train to consider staying here while they put their skills to work. To remain competitive, the U.S. needs talent from around the world, and this is just one way to encourage that. For more information, please see the links below:
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/dhs-issues-final-rule-stem-opt-extension-provisions
The final rule will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days.
