H-1B Visa Alternative 'OPT' Grew 400 Percent In Eight Years, Report Finds

theodp writes: Almost 1.5 million foreign students have been allowed to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation as part of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which is now larger than the controversial H-1B program (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source). According to new Pew Research analysis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the number of students authorized to work under OPT has grown 400% since the federal government in 2008 increased the amount of time graduates with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees could remain in the United States and work. More than half of those working under OPT from 2004 to 2016 were in STEM fields, Pew found, and as a result, were eligible for the so-called STEM extension.

The OPT program added a 17-month STEM extension in 2008, shortly after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates suggested it in testimony to Congress after complaining that the cap for the H-1B program had caused a serious disruption in the flow of talented STEM graduates to U.S. companies. In 2016, another 12-month extension was added after a Federal judge threatened to torpedo the STEM extension program, saying it "appears to have been adopted directly from the unanimous suggestions by Microsoft and similar industry groups." In its Top Ten Tech Issues for 2018, Microsoft expressed "concern that in 2018 the White House will announce a rollback of the extended period of Optional Practical Training for STEM graduates." Pew also took note of allegations that "visa mills" have sprung up in response to demand driven by the OPT program.

Comments

Re:Governemnt helping big tech companies

[Ayano]

On the other side, as someone hiring engineers. I'm not going to sugar coat that many of the 'all-american' graduates don't have as strong a grasp on mathematics as the foreign graduates. The interview questions show this glaringly, do you want to lower the bar to fill quotas?

When I'm looking for team members I care about what they're able to do and we pay our American and H1B workers the same salary (just north of 100k). So payment is not the issue as you like to claim. In shortages employees have more bargaining power absolutely and retaining skilled workers is difficult. This does not need to be artificially inflated by causing a deliberate brain shortage unless you're willing to admit sub-par engineers whom are more interested in Tinder and quick library re-use rather than the hard algorithmic nuances of the work we do.

Re:Tell me again about "Ugly America"

[_Sharp'r_]

America didn't invent slavery, but it was the last western nation to make it illegal

You mean, besides Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Brazil, Italy, France, Netherlands, Russia, Germany, among others? Don't forget to include their full colonies and territorial possessions.

Re:Tell me again about "Ugly America"

[_Sharp'r_]

Germany: Why wouldn't slavery under the Nazi's count? They ran the country at the time...
Spain: The 1818 treaty banned the slave trade, not slavery. They didn't ratify the slavery convention until 1927.
Portugal: Slavery wasn't abolished in all territories until 1869. Again, you seem to be confusing the slave trade with slavery. The United States banned the international "slave trade" in 1807.
Italy: Ratified the 1926 Slavery Convention in 1954. Until then, Italian Somaliland (their colony) still allowed slavery.
France: I missed. 1794 is right.
Netherlands: So the same time as the emancipation proclamation and when slaves were freed in the United States.
Russia: You're forgetting about the Soviet forced labor camps during WW II, among other things.

So you're 1/7 right. Does that mean you get a klaxon? It pays to know what you're talking about, before talking about it.

P.S. The UK had plenty of slaves, especially in colonies, but they also essentially were the first to lead the fight to abolish it around the world, including in their colonies and territories, so it seems churlish to try and get them on a technicality.