According to a recent Boundless study, a record 194,554 international students were granted work permits under Optional Practical Training (OPT) in 2024. A record 165,524 total students participated in STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) in 2024. Of those, 95,384 received new STEM OPT authorizations, primarily from India (48%) and China (20.4%).
95,384 students with work permits through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) OPT shows a 54% increase in just one year.
2024 marks the fourth consecutive year of STEM OPT growth in the US. This shows that international students are not just studying in the U.S. but also gaining work experience in high-demand fields like artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and engineering.
In 2024, the U.S. international student enrollment reached 1.58 million, a 5.3% increase from the previous year.
Foreign students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, a 9.5% increase from 2023, and supported 378,175 jobs during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Over 70% of international students came from Asia, with India (422,335) and China (329,541) leading as the top countries of origin. Together, they represented 47.5% of all active SEVIS records in 2024.
Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple were among the largest employers of students participating in OPT and STEM OPT in 2024.
OPT allows employers to hire talented individuals without needing to immediately sponsor them for a work visa. This gives them time to determine if they want to hire the student permanently and sponsor them for a longer-term work visa.
The U.S. government issued 401,000 student visas in 2024, 10% fewer than in 2023.
OPT Risks Termination
The voice against the OPT program is rising in the US. From lawmakers to common working Americans, there is a growing concern about ending the OPT program for international students.
Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies at the Center, criticizes the Optional Practical Training program and suggests Congress should tighten visa category management or end it entirely.
Joseph Edlow, has also raised concerns about the US Optional Practical Training program, both before and after becoming the Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
US lawmakers are also considering imposing taxation on international students’ earnings from the Optional Practical Training program, which currently exempts them from FICA taxes.
Impact on US Education
Crackdown on foreign students, stricter visa rules and the threat being faced by the OPT program are likely to hurt America’s popularity as a popular study abroad destination.
The latest US Immigration Data shows a significant decrease in the arrival of international students in July compared to the previous year. New student enrollment in U.S. schools is expected to decrease by nearly 50% in Fall 2025, including a drop of almost 50% for students from India.
