The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed new regulations that could terminate or significantly restrict the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which permits international students to gain work experience after graduation. 

According to the DHS’s Unified Agenda, the rule aims to “better align practical training to the goals and objectives of the programme” while tackling fraud, safeguarding national security, and preventing the displacement of American workers, Financial Express reports. 

Critics argue that OPT operates like a guest-worker scheme, enabling foreign graduates to take jobs that could otherwise go to US citizens. 

Lawmakers have introduced the Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025, which explicitly seeks to abolish OPT unless Congress grants explicit authorisation. 

Representative Paul A Gosar, who supports the bill, has said that OPT “undercuts American workers” by allowing employers to hire a cheaper foreign workforce. 

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has also voiced support for ending OPT, while policy expert Jessica Vaughan has called for tighter regulation or elimination, citing abuses such as diploma mills and undocumented training programmes. 

If the proposed rule goes ahead, it may not eliminate OPT, but international students could face harsher eligibility requirements and increased monitoring. 

Furthermore, there are proposals to revoke the current payroll tax exemption (FICA) for students on OPT, potentially making their labour more expensive for employers and themselves. 

The potential overhaul comes as the programme reaches about 2,00,000 international students, sparking concerns that stricter rules could sharply reduce the appeal of US degrees.