• Source:JND
Add as a preferred
HighLights
  1. ICE identifies 10,000 foreign students misusing OPT.
  2. OPT program labeled "magnet for fraud" by ICE.
  3. Students managed from India, violating US training rules.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it has identified 10,000 foreign students, including several from India, who claim to be working for highly suspect employers by misusing the Optional Practical Training (OPT) component of their visas.

OPT allows foreign nationals who enter the United States on a student visa to work in the US for 12, or in some cases 24, months. It also allows students to transition to an H-1B visa sponsored by employers.

OPT became magnet of fraud: ICE

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons said the OPT component of the student visa programme has "become a magnet for fraud" and has been the subject of many investigations by the Department of Homeland Security.

"We've encountered cases involving espionage, biological threats, intellectual property theft, visa and employment fraud, and even scams targeting elderly Americans, all perpetrated by individuals abusing their status as students," Lyons said.

"Our nation will not tolerate security threats originating from the foreign student programme," Lyons said.

ALSO READ: 'Great Idea, Do It': Trump Backs 'NICE' Rebrand For ICE Amid Immigration Backlash

Lyons and other officials outlined how federal investigators conducted site visits, identifying, among other things, cases where OPT beneficiaries were being "managed" by employees based in India, in violation of a provision of the programme requiring US training and direction.
Lyons said the OPT programme, which was unveiled during the George W Bush administration, had anticipated only a few thousand beneficiaries to receive training before returning home.

"Instead, OPT ballooned into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline with hundreds of thousands of foreign students working in the United States. As the programme's size has exploded, so has the fraud," he said.

ALSO READ: 'No More Mr Nice Guy': Trump Threatens Iran's Power Plants And Bridges If Tehran Rejects US' 'Reasonable Deal'

Lyons dubbed the OPT fraud a blatant attack on the goodwill of the American people, who generously allow foreign nationals access to their education system.

(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran and has been published through a syndicated feed. Source - PTI)


Also In News