Indian students in US choosing to stay back for work training: Report

Most Indian students studying in the US are choosing to stay back in the country to join its three-year work or training program, as per a report citing a study by US State Department and the non-profit Institute of International Education (IEE).

out of the 1.99 lakh students who are pursuing higher education in the United States, over 30 per cent of such students have signed on to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programmes, a report by the Indian Express said.

OPT allows foreign graduate students who hold an F-1 or student visa to join paid or voluntary work for up to 3 years.

For the unversed, OPT is a very popular option for students outside of the US to gain practical training experience while pursuing studies or after graduating. While students can opt for the same usually for a year but for certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines, the OPT can also be extended to 3 years.

Even though Indian and Chinese students make up 52 per cent of international students in the US, only 17 per cent of a total of 2.9 lakh Chinese students took to OPT programmes in 2021-22.

The OPT programme has been a bone of contention for the worker's unions in the US who have argued that the programme is used by many as a stepping stone to getting an H-1B visa.

Although Covid may have initially played spoilsport for students wanting to pursue higher education in the US, the students have returned ever since the countrywide restrictions have been taken down or loosened.