On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security said that Optional Practical Training (OPT) program work permits of more than 1,100 international students would not be renewed or restored in the next few months following a program crackdown.
The OPT permit allows international students to work in their field of study on a student visa while they are in the United States. According to DHS, there are more than 220,000 international students present in OPT programs. Out of these 220,000 students, 1,100 students are involved in fraud.
The fraud includes working in a place that doesn’t identify with the student’s field of study. Out of 1,100 international students, USCIS sent warning letters to 700 students to alarm them that their permit will be denied. For another 400, the permit will not be renewed after expiry over the next few months.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found 15 non-immigrant students who professed to be employed by organizations that don’t exist. ICE arrested these 15 students on Wednesday. Top officials of DHS and ICE officials state their enforcement effort began in January.
DHS acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said that it would create those jobs for American workers by disavowing the visas. Cuccinelli connected the crackdown to job losses due to the economic decline brought on by Covid-19. Cuccinelli said that the target is not just the international students but also the consequences within some of these universities.
Schools have assigned officials that approve the work placement of their students in OPT, he stated, adding that they have occupied with “a willful ignorance or a level of negligence” and “we completely hope to end a reasonable number of these school officials.”
He feels that the university employees who work towards managing the international student population are not fulfilling their duties. They do not satisfy their commitment to the U.S. government and the American people. He clarified that he wouldn’t endure such behavior under a Trump administration.
OPT is a key driver of overall international student enrollment in the United States. The Trump administration has been taking action against OPT and international students. The authorities state they are attempting to combat foreign influence, particularly from China.
They also stated that the Chinese government is utilizing its students to steal research and intellectual property. A month ago, They renounced the visas of more than 1,000 suspicious Chinese students. The Trump administration is likewise moving to force two-and four-year limits on visas for international students.
Article Source: Yahoo
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