Republican Congressman Riley M Moore has sent a letter to the new Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin calling for the end of OPT, STEM-OPT and CPT programs to save employment opportunities for American graduates. He’s not the first to make this claim in the H-1B controversy, but he detailed how these programs that allow foreign students to enter the workforce make a mockery of Congress’ original intent. “As new graduates enter one of the most challenging job markets in recent history, it is troubling that businesses and universities continue to exploit nonimmigrant worker programs to replace American workers with foreign labor,” the congressman said.“For a year, Big Tech lobbyists have been quietly working with previous administrations to turn ‘hands-on training’ programs into a backdoor channel for cheap foreign labor. They even urged the Department of Homeland Security to secretly rewrite the OPT regulations to avoid the H-1B cap deliberately imposed by Congress. This regulatory sleight of hand not only makes a mockery of Congress’ clear intent with the student visa program, but also allows powerful corporations to get what they want: an unlimited supply of underpaid, tax-advantaged workers to replace America’s own talent,” Reilly wrote.
What are OPT, OPT extension and CPT?
OPT (Optional Practical Training) is a temporary work authorization for U.S. F-1 students that allows students to engage in study-related work to gain practical experience. It is valid for 12 months.One year of OPT for STEM students can be extended by 24 months.CPT (Curriculum Practical Training) is a work authorization that is part of the academic curriculum. Unlike OPT, this can only be done during the course. This is university approved and many people choose it when their US status expires.Riley Moore said the programs were a good deal for foreign students to get practical training, but over time they became a bridge between temporary student visas and long-term H-1B status.“Since 1947, government programs have provided foreign students with the opportunity for a brief internship experience. But in 1992, the Bush Administration quietly transformed these programs into modern OPT, allowing foreigners to stay in the United States and work for a full year,” Moore said, explaining the evolution of these programs.“By 2007, the H-1B visa cap limited Microsoft’s access to cheap foreign labor. At a 2007 dinner, a Microsoft lobbyist proposed to Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff that the H-1B problem could be circumvented by extending the OPT period. It worked. The 2008 Chertoff rule extended STEM OPT by 17 months without any public notice or congressional approval. Nearly 8 “Years later, the Obama administration extended OPT again, so that the total time foreigners can stay in the United States after graduation is 36 months,” he said, adding that nearly 450,000 foreigners are engaged in jobs that should belong to Americans.“Big Tech loves this arrangement. Foreigners accept lower wages. They can’t change jobs or ask for promotions. And nearly everyone is exempt from paying Social Security and Medicare taxes, saving billions of dollars,” he added.