US Wishes To Expand Work Permit To Foreign Students

12 Jun 2015

With an aim to attract more number of students from abroad, including India, the Obama administration has proposed to offer six year work permit to certain category of foreigner who wish to study In the US. This particular move, is very likely to benefit the Indian students, most of being are opposed by the top republican lawmaker.

According to new regulations proposed by the department of Homeland security, the foreign students in technology, science, engineering and mathematics collectively are called as STEM. And they are allowed to work in the US for six years.  Three years after finishing an undergraduate program, and then another three years after a graduate program.

Presently, the foreign students are authorized to work for a 12 month period after graduation from the US degree program.

The foreign students graduating from Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree program would be granted additional 17 month employment.

The new proposal has been submitted to the Senate Judiciary committee and accordingly the new students in non-stem category would be getting work permit for three years, if they had an earlier STEM degree.

Given that students from India are mainly in STEM courses, this proposal if implemented it would be highly beneficial to the Indian students. However, it can be observed that this proposal has met its tough hurdle from the Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of Senate Judiciary committee.

Grassley has informed that, the new regulation proposed are still internally discussed, the irresponsible and dangerous considering the Government Accountability office report, issued in March 2014 finding that the program was full of inefficiencies, susceptible to the fraud and that the department was not adequately overseeing it.

Thus, as per the proposed new regulation, a foreign student can work in the US post graduation on a student visa for a total up to six years.

Grassley added, a student who graduated from STEM Bachelor’s degree program could work up to three years after they graduate in student status. Then they can opt for Master degree and work for three more years after that.

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