Study in US

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a major revamp on August 27 in their policy manual related to foreign students applying for optional practical training (OPT).

The update also clarifies guidance concerning online study, school transfers, the grace period, and study abroad.

USCIS released a notification stating students enrolled in OPT for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields will enjoy a three-year extension, as compared to the one-year OPT period which is given to students from other fields.

OPT allows international students to gain practical work experience related to their field in the US after completing their academic studies.

Thus, this move will grant a longer period to the STEM graduates in hunting for valuable experience.

Moreover, the update in policy grants international students a 60-day grace period after OPT to change their education level, transfer schools, or apply for a different immigration status.

Students can now also transfer between the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools at the same level or change their education level within this grace period.

Regarding flexibility in attending classes, the update clarifies that international students can count one online or distance learning class, or three credits, per academic session towards their full course of study, even if the class doesn’t require physical attendance.

Students are now also eligible for post-completion OPT, equivalent to those after the completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program in the US.

However, in his recent visit, talking over the implications of studying in the States, US Consul General Mike Hankey emphasised considering opportunities in India before moving abroad.

During his visit to one of the universities in Ahmedabad on March 15, Hankey  said, “Thousands of students from India apply for graduation or post-graduation in various American universities every year, and even after getting admission to university, some might not get visas.”

Notably, Indian students constitute more than 25% of the over one million foreign students studying in the US, according to a November 2023 Open Doors report.

The number of Indians who travelled to the US for higher education increased by 35% and resulted in an all-time high of 2,68,923 students in the academic year 2022-23, the report said.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)