Washington— Republican Senator Chuck Grassley asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop giving work permits to foreign student visa holders on Wednesday. This would have a direct effect on an important means for international graduates to work in the U.S.
Grassley said in a post on X that these authorizations “directly violate the law and put the USA at risk of corporate and tech espionage.” He said that he wrote a letter to Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, asking her to end their work permits.
A Direct Threat to OPT
If the DHS did what Grassley asked, it would probably get rid of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT is an important part of the student visa system since it lets international graduates work in the U.S. for 12 to 36 months right after they earn their degrees. Many people who eventually want to get an H-1B visa need to go through this program first.
There is still a lot of talk about immigration and work permits, which is what the senator said. The Trump administration recently put a $100,000 charge on H-1B visa applications. This has sparked concerns about how it may affect the U.S. healthcare system, especially in rural areas. Grassley’s main concern is student visas, especially the post-graduation work permits that he says make it harder for American workers to get jobs. The H-1B visa is for highly qualified workers.