To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to codify the Optional Practical Training program.

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-05-07

The proposal would officially write into law the Optional Practical Training program, which allows foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities to work in the country for a limited time in their field of study. Currently, this program operates under temporary government rules rather than permanent legislation, so codifying it would give it more stable legal status and potentially make it harder to change without new laws. The change would mainly affect international students and the employers who hire them, as well as universities that host these students.