Indian students anxious as OPT fears rise amid MAGA’s push for- stricter US immigration, post-study work rules
India is the largest source of international students in the US, and any shift in immigration policy could affect thousands of future applicants
- Feb 15, 2025,
- Updated Feb 15, 2025 7:54 AM IST
Indian students in the US and those planning to study there are growing anxious as calls to restrict merit-based immigration programs such as H-1B and Optional Practical Training (OPT) gain momentum from the ‘Make America Great Again’ lobby. While the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown focuses on illegal migration, many students have quit part-time jobs to avoid compliance risks, according to Economic Times and study abroad consultants. Though the OPT program remains unaffected for now, fears of future changes are mounting.
India is the largest source of international students in the US, and any shift in immigration policy could affect thousands of future applicants. The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program is particularly crucial for Indian students, offering a pathway to gain practical work experience after completing their degrees.
During Donald Trump’s first term, new enrolments by Indian students initially stabilized, with many securing OPT placements. However, the Open Doors Report shows enrolments plateaued at 202,014 in 2018-19 before dropping to 167,582 in 2020-21, driven by the pandemic and heightened political rhetoric. OPT placements followed a similar trend, peaking at 84,630 in 2018-19 before falling to 73,601.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, 331,602 Indian students enrolled in higher education in the United States, representing a 23% increase from the previous year. Additionally, participation in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows international students to work in the U.S. after graduation, increased significantly by 41%, reaching a total of 97,556 participants.
For now, experts believe the OPT program will stay. According to the Economic Times, experts believe that there won't be any reduction in OPT as the new administration is largely focusing on illegal immigration. They also talked about how, unlike countries like Canada and the UK, where international students form a significant proportion of the higher education population, they account for only 5% of the US.
Indian students in the US and those planning to study there are growing anxious as calls to restrict merit-based immigration programs such as H-1B and Optional Practical Training (OPT) gain momentum from the ‘Make America Great Again’ lobby. While the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown focuses on illegal migration, many students have quit part-time jobs to avoid compliance risks, according to Economic Times and study abroad consultants. Though the OPT program remains unaffected for now, fears of future changes are mounting.
India is the largest source of international students in the US, and any shift in immigration policy could affect thousands of future applicants. The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program is particularly crucial for Indian students, offering a pathway to gain practical work experience after completing their degrees.
During Donald Trump’s first term, new enrolments by Indian students initially stabilized, with many securing OPT placements. However, the Open Doors Report shows enrolments plateaued at 202,014 in 2018-19 before dropping to 167,582 in 2020-21, driven by the pandemic and heightened political rhetoric. OPT placements followed a similar trend, peaking at 84,630 in 2018-19 before falling to 73,601.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, 331,602 Indian students enrolled in higher education in the United States, representing a 23% increase from the previous year. Additionally, participation in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows international students to work in the U.S. after graduation, increased significantly by 41%, reaching a total of 97,556 participants.
For now, experts believe the OPT program will stay. According to the Economic Times, experts believe that there won't be any reduction in OPT as the new administration is largely focusing on illegal immigration. They also talked about how, unlike countries like Canada and the UK, where international students form a significant proportion of the higher education population, they account for only 5% of the US.