This bill would put the Optional Practical Training program into federal law for the first time. Currently, the program operates under regulatory authority rather than as a statutory requirement. The legislation allows foreign students on F-1 visas to work in the United States for up to 24 months after completing their studies if the job relates to their field of study. Students who graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields would be eligible for an extended 24-month period, allowing up to 48 months of total practical training. The bill also directs the Department of Homeland Security to classify nursing as a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field, making nursing graduates eligible for the longer training period. By codifying this program in statute, Congress would lock in these work authorization provisions and make them more difficult to change through administrative action alone.
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