Sunaina Chadha. New Delhi4 minutes ago
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The US immigration agency ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has launched an investigation into alleged large-scale fraud in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
A new worry has arisen for thousands of Indian students who dream of working in America after studying. The US immigration agency ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has launched an investigation into alleged large-scale fraud in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. About 10,000 foreign students are said to be under investigation, a large number of them are Indian students.
US officials claim that many students maintained their visa status by working through shell companies or fake companies that had almost no real business operations. Some companies were created just to show students legal employment and avoid visa regulations. During investigation, addresses of many companies were found in vacant buildings, closed offices or residential houses. In some cases, HR agents based in India instead of the companies’ US offices were found managing the students.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said the OPT program, started during the George W. Bush administration, expected only a few thousand beneficiaries to receive training and then return home. Instead, millions of foreign students are working in America through OPT. As the size of the program has grown, fraud has also increased.
However, the investigating agencies have clarified that the action is not against any particular country or all Indian students, but is focused only on suspicious networks and companies. Nevertheless, this action has increased the concern of Indian students and their families preparing to go to America.
Ease of getting a job after studying through OPT program
The OPT program allows foreign students studying in the US on an F-1 student visa to get a job after completing their studies. Students of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) faculty get an opportunity to work for 36 months through this. For Indian students, this program is considered an important stepping stone to get H-1B visa and a long career in America. According to statistics, 68,000 Indian OPT students have been working in many American tech companies in recent years.
