Homeland Security unit to probe OPT foreign students

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is developing a new unit to probe use of the Optional Practical Training work permit for foreign students, and to recommend investigations of students and employers.

The OPT program, widely used in the Silicon Valley technology industry and often a pathway to the H-1B visa intended for jobs requiring specialized skills, allows foreign students to work in the U.S. for up to three years.

Homeland Security announced the new Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit this week, saying the agency “is currently unable to evaluate the impact OPT has had on U.S. workers and foreign students who have obtained work authorization.�

The “OPT Employment Compliance Unit� will be wholly focused on wages, hours and compensation in the program, Homeland Security said in its announcement.  “This unit will also be responsible for recommending investigations of employers and students, as needed, to Homeland Security Investigations to ensure that the OPT programs operate in a lawful manner at U.S. worksites,� the agency said.

“For example, if the unit were to detect evidence that an employer is using OPT in a discriminatory manner (e.g., as a means to hire only foreign nationals, or only individuals of certain nationalities to the exclusion of others), or in a manner that negatively impacts wages, this unit may notify (the U.S. Department of Labor) and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The unit will also seek to ensure companies employing technology workers who are eligible for the three-year permits are adhering to the required promises and training plan, according to Homeland Security.

“The loss of employment many U.S. workers have faced since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as employers lay off significant portions of their workforce (while still, in some cases, seeking to hire more foreign workers), makes this work particularly timely,� the announcement said.

In December, a federal court judge upheld the program against a challenge from a union representing U.S. technology workers who claimed Homeland Security used the OPT program to get around the numerical cap on H-1B visas, and that OPT workers gained an unfair advantage because employers don’t have to pay Medicare and Social Security taxes for them. A who’s who of Bay Area tech giants, including Google, Apple, Facebook, Uber, Tesla, HP, Oracle and Salesforce joined the case, seeking to protect the program, arguing in a court filing that it expands job opportunities for American workers by spurring economic activity.