Indian Students enrolled in the US Universities STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs can work for three years under the Optional Practical Training.
The New guidelines are active from May 10, 2016, for the international students in the United States.
By the new guidelines, the Department of Homeland Security released new rules and published in Federal Register.
According to a noted educational consultant, "this is a welcome news and will benefit our Indian students as majority of our students going to the US prefer STEM programs. Also, by giving authority to only credit-worthy universities, they will be able to manage the growth of unscrupulous agents who send the students to fake universities just to make easy money. It's a welcome step, which will not only boost education but also check immoral elements in the field of education."
However, only students under the OPT training will be allowed for extending the program which initially is issued for 12 months.
Earlier Optional Practical Training was for 29 months; now it has been extended for another seven months, making it to a total of 36 months.
