# Plain Language Summary: Americans First OPT Reform Act of 2023

This bill would dramatically restrict a program that allows foreign students to work in the United States after graduation. Currently, international students can participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which lets them stay and gain work experience in their field for up to three years. This bill would cut that down to just four months with no possibility of extending it.

The bill also creates two categories of people who would be completely banned from the program. First, anyone with a degree in or working in sensitive fields—like national security, infrastructure, telecommunications, or military-related work—would be prohibited from participating. Second, anyone employed by, funded by, or connected to entities owned or controlled by the Communist Party of China would be ineligible. The bill gives the Department of Homeland Security the power to define exactly which fields and entities fall into these categories.

In practical terms, this would affect thousands of international students every year who come to American universities and want to work here after graduation. Many companies rely on OPT workers to fill positions in tech, engineering, and other fields. If this bill passed, most international graduates would have to leave the country after just four months of work experience, and those in sensitive industries or with certain affiliations would have no opportunity to work in the U.S. at all. This could make American universities less attractive to international students and potentially create labor shortages in industries that depend on this workforce.

Americans First OPT Reform Act of 2023

Santos, George

Americans First OPT Reform Act of 2023 This bill imposes limits on the Optional Practical Training Program. (The program provides an eligible F-1 student visa holder temporary employment authorization before or after completion of the student's studies, or both.) Under this bill, a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) may only participate in the program for four months with no extensions available. (Current rules generally allow an eligible individual to participate for up to one year with full-time employment; current rules also allow individuals with certain degrees to obtain a 24-month extension.) The bill also bars certain individuals from participating in the program, specifically an individual (1) with a degree or working in a sensitive field, or (2) who is employed by or otherwise affiliated with an entity owned or controlled by the Communist Party of China.