OPT permits in the US have hit a new high

OPT or Optional Practical Training is the period during which F1 (Student) Visa holders receive employment authorization to complement their studies. It is directly related to the student’s area of study.

Eligible F1 Visa holders may get up to 12 months of employment authorization under OPT.

There are two different ways to participate in OPT:

1. Pre-Completion OPT: You can apply for it if you have been enrolled in at least a one-year course in an educational institute in the US on a full-time basis. If you are granted authorization, you may work part-time while your session is on. You may also work full-time during holidays and when your session is not going on.
2. Post-completion OPT: You may apply for it after completing your course in the US. If authorized you may work full-time or part-time in the US.

If you have obtained a US degree in the STEM fields, you may also apply for a 24-month extension on your OPT.

As per the Institute of International Education, OPT permits have hit a new high in the US in the year 2017-18. Almost 203,462 OPT permits were issued during this period.

H1B holders and OPT participants have virtually helped transform the tech workforce of the Silicon Valley.

There has been a 400% increase in OPT authorizations for STEM graduates since 2008, as per The Columbus Dispatch. The extension on their OPT helps STEM students remain in the US for up to 42 months.

OPT advocates believe that foreign workers contribute immensely to the US workforce. A report by the Silicon Valley Competitiveness and Innovation Project issued in 2017 found that 57% of the tech workers in the San Francisco Bay Area were from outside the US. These techies help fill a critical labor shortage which allows US firms to remain strong and create new jobs.

Y-Axis offers a wide range of Visa and Immigration products as well as services for aspiring overseas students including Work Visa for the USA, Study Visa for the USA, and Business Visa for the USA.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to the USA, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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