US Firms Ditch OPT Hires: Indian Students at Risk

Just a few months ago, India officially became the top source of international students in the U.S. But what good is this achievement when young graduates are struggling to secure good jobs?

A recent thread on social media has thrown OPT candidates into disarray. A recruiter revealed that their company’s legal team has advised against hiring OPT and TN visa candidates due to immigration uncertainty.

Responding to the post, recruiters from other companies admitted they had hired student candidates in the past but are now putting a pause on this practice.

Surprisingly, H-1B transfers are still fine, but if you’re on OPT, you’re out of luck. The main reason is that the H-1B lottery is too risky, and companies don’t want that headache in an ever-changing political climate.

With the U.S. becoming more hostile to work visas, hiring Indian graduates is now seen as a liability. Some even argue that cutting OPT and H-1Bs helps keep American salaries high.

This could destroy the career plans of over 300,000 Indian students in the U.S. No job means no H-1B, which means they would be forced to leave as soon as they finish college.