DHS To Extend OPT To 60 Months, Says Employers, Universities, Students Demand It (natlawreview.com)

theodp writes: In August, Federal Judge Ellen Huvelle called BS on 'emergency' changes made by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security in 2008 to Optional Practical Training (OPT) that extended the amount of time foreign STEM graduates of U.S. colleges could stay in the country and work ("to alleviate the crisis employers are facing due to the current H-1B visa shortage," as Bill Gates explained it in 2007). "The 17-month duration of the STEM extension appears to have been adopted directly from the unanimous suggestions by Microsoft and similar industry groups," said the Judge in her ruling, which threatened to invalidate STEM OPT extensions in February. But the DHS fired back Monday with a new proposed rule — Improving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students With STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students — that will extend STEM OPT to as much as 60 months (a standard 12-month OPT period, plus two 24-month extensions). Foreign students demand it, explained the DHS, as do public colleges and universities, who "particularly benefit from the payment of tuition by foreign students, especially in comparison to the tuition paid by in-state students." DHS estimates that the proposed rule will affect 634,464 foreign STEM students over the next 10 years.

Comments

woah woah woah

[ganjadude]

hold the phone a second

Foreign students demand it, explained the DHS, as do public colleges and universities, who "particularly benefit from the payment of tuition by foreign students, especially in comparison to the tuition paid by in-state students." DHS estimates that the proposed rule will affect 634,464 foreign STEM students over the next 10 years.

so the schools are selling us americans out to foreigners because... surprise surprise they get paid more! And even worse the government is supporting that????

where are all the "tuition is to high" americans at??? they need to stand up and say enough is enough

Re:woah woah woah

[hawguy]

where are all the "tuition is to high" americans at??? they need to stand up and say enough is enough

In theory, the high tuitions that foreign students pay keeps tuition lower for domestic students.

Re:woah woah woah

[Jane Q. Public]

In theory, the high tuitions that foreign students pay keeps tuition lower for domestic students.

BS. It doesn't work that way. Because of regulations, they can only charge state residents so much. So they charge others more. You're imagining some kind of "This is our total budget, so if others pay more, they pay less" scheme. Hahahaha. What world do you live in?

It's just exactly greed, nothing more.

Fuck You, DHS

[sexconker]

Fuck You, DHS.

US fucked visa system

[Anonymous Coward]

The only reason for these ridiculous band aids is that getting a green card takes fucking forever and the standards for work visas are incorrectly set. A BA/BSc/BEng from Harvard and Podunk State are considered equal. It's no secret that American universities attract some of the smartest people on the planet, which is a unique advantage that the US has. Competition for top universities is fierce and pretty much manages to swoop in the top talent on the planet. The problem is then that the immigration system is not at all merit based. Someone with a degree from Harvard is on equal footing with a graduate from a completely unknown school which accepts everyone who can send them a check.

The problem is that one should keep out people that are no better than what can be sourced among the local population. At the same time the immigration system needs to guarantee continuity for top students while quickly getting them to the point where they can stay permanently, which allow them to do things like start a family, buy a house etc. If the immigration system forces someone to move abroad even for a month there's a high chance they're not coming back.

pushes wages down

[Anonymous Coward]

i imagine the problem of "employee shortage" could be fixed in the private market (via higher salaries) rather than by passing laws to bring in outside people to work for less...

H-1B is bullshit

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

99% of the H-1B circus is bullshit.

Are you really telling me that in this entire country there isn't anyone with the skills to fill that job? BULLSHIT.
This is probably even true at a state level, and also probably true at a local level as well.

Maybe if you're looking for something really esoteric, but a programming job or skill? Sorry, I call BULLSHIT.

It's nothing more than a way to get cheap, compliant labor while simultaneously driving down wages and sucking up tax breaks. I live a few miles from Microsofts Redmond campus, trust me when I say that I know what I'm talking about.

The entire H-1B program should junked and redone so that only TRULY "unfindable" skills or candidates would qualify.

Re:H-1B is bullshit

[Harlequin80]

Actually there are lots and lots of jobs where a particular skillset won't exist in the local market. This often comes about when an industry expands rapidly. One example would be the shale gas growth in the US. While there were people who had experience mapping the reservoirs locally there would have been a ridiculous shortage of people who would be genuinely able to do the work at the level required. It simply was impossible for the local market to supply those people as they weren't needed at all 10 years ago.

It's not even a case that if I offer more money I can get one. It is the case that there are 100 jobs but only 75 people who can do it. And if it takes 20 years to be able to do that job it doesn't matter how much money I offer there will still be 25 jobs un-filled.

This actually happens a lot more than you might think.

Re:Why do people dislike immigration ?

[naris]

H1B and similar laws such as this one are not about immigration. They are about importing what is effectively slave labor that have to work long hours for little money, for the same company, or risk getting deported.