US, Dec 09 : A group of Republican lawmakers is pressing the White House to dismantle the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, arguing that the long-standing work authorisation pathway for international students has evolved into an unregulated system that was never approved by Congress. The coordinated push, part of a growing US lawmakers OPT repeal campaign, was formalised in a letter dated December 4.
Addressed to White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the letter accuses the OPT program of becoming “dangerously unauthorized, abused, and costly to the American taxpayer.” Signed by 13 Republican legislators and released to the media on Monday, the letter asserts that OPT “has never been riper for repeal.”
Created in 1992 through administrative regulation, OPT allows F-1 student visa holders to work in the US for up to three years after completing their studies, particularly in STEM fields. The lawmakers argue that the program “circumvents the H-1B visa cap” and enables employers to hire foreign graduates at “cheaper wages,” claiming this places American students at a disadvantage.
“Luckily, OPT was created by a pen and can be terminated by the President’s pen,” the letter states, warning that any partial changes could unintentionally “codify the program,” similar to concerns raised around the development of DACA.
The lawmakers cited federal data showing that in 2024, nearly 195,000 foreign students received OPT work authorization and over 95,000 students were approved under STEM OPT extensions. They noted that the largest number of participants came from India and China. ICE, they said, has acknowledged that the total number of students working at any point may exceed the annual authorizations issued.
Calling OPT “the largest unregulated guest worker scheme in the United States,” the Republican group argued that large corporations and universities benefit the most, while smaller American businesses “are hit the hardest” due to payroll tax loopholes. The letter claims the program costs federal trust funds “$4 billion annually” because participants are exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax contributions.
Raising national security concerns, the lawmakers warned that OPT participants work in sensitive areas, including defense R&D, telecommunications, semiconductor engineering, and space systems. Citing a 2022 federal audit, they said ICE “has not assessed OPT’s vulnerability to Chinese espionage.”
“Simply put, OPT strips opportunities from American students,” the lawmakers wrote, urging the administration to terminate the program entirely as part of the broader US lawmakers OPT repeal effort.