Event, News by admin Dec 19, 2024
H-1B modernisation rule
New H-1B visa rules offer extended cap-gap protection for F-1 student visa holders, benefiting many Indian students on OPT. The extension, from September 30 to April 1, provides up to six additional months of work authorization, mitigating employment disruptions and allowing US employers to retain international talent.
International students on an F-1 (study visa) seeking to change their status to a H-1B (non-immigrant work visa) stand to gain from the flexibilities in the final H-1B modernisation rules, released on Tuesday night. The new rule provides a longer protection tenure and mitigates employment disruption.
The immediate impact is that the 97,556 Indian students currently participating in the Optional Practical Training Program (OPT) will stand to gain. There was an increase by 41% in OPT participation by Indian students from the previous year, according to the latest Open Doors report for the (2023-2024 academic year).
International students on completion of their qualification are eligible for an optional practical training (OPT) of one year. Those hailing from the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field of study get an additional extended tenure of two years. In other words, for STEM students, the OPT program period is three years.
Source: timesofindia
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