STEM workers have now been given more opportunities to work and immigrate to the U.S. The DHS added 22 additional STEM fields to the list of those programs that are eligible for the 24 mo. STEM OPT EAD extension. They include such fields as Human-Centered Technology Design, Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Business… Continue reading Good News for STEM Workers
Tag: STEM OPT
Changes to STEM OPT
It has been long rumored that the current Administration would try and eliminate the STEM OPT program. It appears that they have now struck a major blow to its use by staffing and consulting companies. They did not issue a new policy memorandum nor did they publish a proposed change to the existing regulation but,… Continue reading Changes to STEM OPT
Final Rule Increasing OPT For STEM Students Released
The final rule was release today, March 9, 2016, this document is unpublished on the Federal Register, but on 03/11/2016 it is scheduled to be published and available. Until then, you can see the pre-publication PDF version here: Final OPT STEM rule. The rule will go into effect in May. The highlight of the new… Continue reading Final Rule Increasing OPT For STEM Students Released
Update on STEM OPT Extension Lawsuit
The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) continues its lawsuit in an attempt to end STEM OPT. On Feb. 4 WashTech sought review of the Aug. 12 order from U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle, which vacated the 2008 rule extending the OPT period for foreign students with science- and math-related (STEM) degrees by 17… Continue reading Update on STEM OPT Extension Lawsuit
STEM OPT Rule Update
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will have 90 additional days to revise the F-1 STEM OPT rule. The original rule, allowing for 17 months of additional OPT time if the student was in a STEM field, was order to be vacated as of February 12, 2016. U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle granted DHS’s… Continue reading STEM OPT Rule Update
Proposed STEM OPT Rule Summarized
On October 19, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed regulation that is a direct response to a federal judge’s order striking down the existing STEM OPT program because of a lack of compliance with the Administrative Procedures Act. The proposed rule would make several changes to the F-1 STEM OPT program and… Continue reading Proposed STEM OPT Rule Summarized
District Court Determines that Technology Union has Standing to Sue
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently determined that a union that represents technology workers has standing to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the basis that these workers were harmed by the U.S. Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) STEM extension program. In Washington Alliance of Technology Workers v. U.S. Department… Continue reading District Court Determines that Technology Union has Standing to Sue
Senator Grassley Points to Flaws in the OPT STEM Program and Demands an Investigation !
As reported in this blog previously, President Obama’s administration recently expanded the number of STEM programs that make OPT available for 29 months. This expansion bypassed Congress and was issued without notice and comment or any other rulemaking procedure. Senator Grassley has called for an investigation into the STEM OPT program. He claims that the expanded program… Continue reading Senator Grassley Points to Flaws in the OPT STEM Program and Demands an Investigation !