OPT Application Pause Leaves Students in Limbo

Andres Pulido, a latest graduate of the University of Florida, utilized in October for optionally available sensible coaching—the work authorization accessible to worldwide college students after they graduate—for a job engaged on self-driving vehicles that he was scheduled to graduate to begin in February. He continues to be ready for the authorization to return by. In the meantime, he has missed out on a number of months of deliberate earnings; he even made the journey by automobile from Florida to California’s Bay Area for the place, however moved again as soon as it turned clear he would not get his OPT in time.

Pulido is a local of Venezuela, one of many 40 nations and territories on the Trump administration’s journey ban checklist. In memos launched in late 2025 and early 2026the federal government expanded the attain of the journey ban to pause the processing of purposes for immigration advantages, together with OPT, for people from these nations; they may nonetheless apply, however their purposes would not be reviewed. The pause was meant to final solely till US Citizenship and Immigration Services had applied new pointers for vetting purposes from these nations. But 4 months later, processing nonetheless hasn’t resumed, leaving numerous F-1 visa holders like Pulido in limbo. Experts say no steering has been launched.

Polished awning Inside Higher Ed he lives along with his spouse, a present Ph.D. scholar, which has made the scenario barely simpler as a result of she is incomes some earnings. Still, his lack of a job has taken a serious toll on their funds. As a consequence, he has made the tough selection to begin making use of to positions in different nations.

“I needed to utterly change my life as soon as 10 years in the past, and I constructed it right here. I’ve household from Venezuela which might be right here, and all my buddies are right here. My profession is right here, my present job is right here, my community of pros [is] right here,” he stated. “It was not straightforward, however it was a really chilly, calculated resolution of, ‘I can’t stay. I must assist myself. Nobody else goes to feed me. So, I would like to have the ability to depend on myself and have the ability to assist myself.’

“It was sad, of course, that [in] a country that I do consider to be a champion [of immigration] … I get the feeling that some specific populations just don’t want us here.”

The Cato Institute estimates that about two million whole petitions are impacted, together with a million purposes for work authorization. But consultants say there was no indication from USCIS about when purposes shall be reviewed once more, forcing college students like Pulido to make tough choices.

“International students from those countries who had been waiting to get their OPT processed [don’t have] a clear pathway forward,” stated Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. “So, it’s not a ban, but it’s still kind of in the adjudication black hole. “Students don’t know whether it’s just a matter of waiting longer.”

She fears that the pause could also be a part of the Trump administration’s bigger plans to get rid of OPT.

“This current administration has been signaling very clearly that they’re seeking to end postgraduate optional practical training. The former secretary of homeland security, the current secretary of homeland security, Republican senators have all been kind of waving the specter that there will be a proposed rule to end OPT,” stated Feldblum.

In an announcement to Inside Higher EdUSCIS wrote, “Verifying identities and personal histories of aliens from various countries requires a rigorous process—one that prioritizes the safety of the American people. USCIS has paused adjudications for aliens from President Trump’s designated high-risk countries while we work to ensure they are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

But the language USCIS has used to debate the pause with different information shops has strayed away from the nationwide safety narrative to explain OPT as something that is “undermining” American staff.

Far-Reaching Impacts

The pause is creating monetary hardship for a lot of worldwide graduates. On prime of the lack of earnings, they’ve paid a number of hundred {dollars} to use for OPT, and a few college students, together with Pulido, paid an additional $1,800 for the appliance to be expedited earlier than they discovered of the pause. He’s sought a refund however stated he was advised it could not be offered because of the pause.

Beyond the monetary impacts, underneath OPT laws F-1 visa holders can solely be unemployed for a set variety of days earlier than they violate their nonimmigrant standing.

For Kimberley Duru, a medical scholar born in Nigeria who has been learning and dealing in the US since 2011, the freeze threatens to upend her total profession path. She is slated to start her residency this summer time. But she will not be allowed to take action until she is permitted to work in the US

She utilized for OPT in February, which she stated is a typical step for worldwide medical college students earlier than they switch to a brand new visa sort, like a J-1 or H-1B visa, to finish their residency. Her software has been in limbo ever since.

“I’m working towards a career in medicine and all the investment of time, effort, money that goes into it. And now to get to the end of it and to have this hurdle and to have matched to a residency program is very, very distressing and very, very unfortunate,” she stated. “Very cruel, to put it mildly.”

While the hospital the place Duru was slated to finish her residency has been understanding, she stated, she would not suppose they’re going to have the ability to maintain the spot for her if she is not approved in time.

Students and others affected by the pause have begun submitting lawsuits, hoping judges will order USCIS to course of their petitions. Zachary New, an lawyer with the legislation agency Joseph & Hall, who’s representing college students in two lawsuits contesting the pause, stated the scenario is getting dire for a lot of of these affected.

“Anybody who’s operating out of residing bills, who’s unable to proceed working, who must proceed their schooling however cannot, their solely actual choice is to depart the United States. For lots of people proper now, that is probably not an choice. If you are Iranian, [your options] are wait 5 months for work authorization or to return to a warfare zone,” he stated. “It’s a rock and a hard place.”

According to New, about 30 lawsuits have been filed difficult the processing freeze, and judges have granted 4 injunctions requiring USCIS to course of these plaintiffs’ petitions.

The program chief of Project Unpause, a grassroots group advocating for USCIS to start processing the purposes once more, stated that at present the one option to transfer them ahead appears to be to sue. (The program chief requested anonymity, as a result of she, too, is an immigrant impacted by the processing freeze.) But even that pathway is difficult for a lot of to entry; Some legislation corporations are asking plaintiffs for a number of thousand {dollars}, which is financially unfeasible, particularly for many who are out of labor because of the pause.

Looking Ahead

International schooling leaders say they’re working intently with college students whose purposes are at present frozen, however many aren’t positive about one of the best recommendation to offer.

Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment administration on the University of Cincinnati, stated a couple of dozen college students are at present dealing with delayed begin dates or difficulties in contract negotiations for jobs they’re slated to start in the following few months. Elizabeth Leibach, an affiliate with the worldwide schooling agency Gateway International, stated she’s heard of scholars having to show down job affords from main corporations.

Shannon Bedo, one other Gateway affiliate, stated one of the best path for some college students could also be to proceed learning.

“If it’s getting close to what would’ve been 90 days of unemployment and they don’t want to risk it, they need to look at changing to a new degree program,” she stated. “Currently, if a student wants to change from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree, they can go ahead and do that. So, we’re actually seeing more students say, ‘I’m not going to apply for OPT, I’m going to go ahead and apply for a master’s degree.'”

Some foreign-born college working in the US are additionally impacted by the pause. One professor at a public college, who requested anonymity, stated he was permitted for a National Interest Waiver course of, which affords people whose expertise can be useful to the US a pathway to everlasting residency.

He formally utilized for his inexperienced card in November, a month earlier than the freeze started. Because he was permitted for the NIW, he stated, he had already undergone a rigorous screening course of.

“The human impact is immediate and concrete. I have not been able to visit my parents in my home country since 2023. I cannot travel internationally for research conferences. I have missed opportunities to apply for rare, highly specialized research positions, making my future in the US feel uncertain, which causes a significant psychological burden,” he wrote in an e mail to Inside Higher Ed. “Even taking national security seriously, this kind of broad and indefinite pause feels like a war of attrition on people who have followed every rule and paid tens of thousands[s of] dollars in immigration and lawyers [sic] fees.”

“My concern is that freezing large numbers of already-screened, law-abiding applicants creates backlogs and prolonged limbo that can undermine timely, individualized vetting rather than improving it.”