Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Dec 9: A bloc of Republican lawmakers has called on the White House to dismantle the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, arguing that the decades-old work pathway for foreign students operates without congressional approval and has expanded into what they describe as an expensive, unregulated system.

In a December 4 letter addressed to White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers asserted that OPT has become “dangerously unauthorized, abused, and costly to the American taxpayer,” adding that the program “has never been riper for repeal.”

The letter, signed by 13 Republican members of Congress, was released to the media on Monday.

Created by federal regulation in 1992, OPT allows international students on F-1 visas to work in the U.S. for up to three years, particularly in STEM fields. The lawmakers claim the initiative “sidesteps the H-1B visa cap” and enables companies to hire foreign graduates at lower costs, ultimately “placing American students at a disadvantage.”

“OPT was created by a pen and can be terminated by the President’s pen,” the letter declares, cautioning that partial reforms could inadvertently solidify the program in the same way critics argue happened with DACA.

Citing federal data, the lawmakers noted that in 2024, 194,554 students received OPT work permits, alongside 95,384 STEM OPT authorizations, with the largest share originating from India and China. They also referenced Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s admission that the number of foreign students working at any given time may exceed the number of new authorizations issued annually.

Labeling OPT “the largest unregulated guest worker program in the country,” the group argued that while major corporations and universities profit from employing foreign graduates, smaller U.S. businesses suffer—particularly because OPT participants are exempt from paying into Social Security and Medicare. According to the lawmakers, this exemption results in an estimated $4 billion annual loss to federal trust funds.

The letter further warns that OPT participants can enter sensitive sectors such as defense research, telecommunications, semiconductor development, and missile and space systems. Referring to a 2022 federal audit, the lawmakers said ICE has not adequately evaluated the program’s susceptibility to foreign espionage, especially from China.

“OPT strips opportunities from American students,” the lawmakers concluded, urging the administration to abolish the program entirely so that Congress can address what they call a long-standing problem.