{"id":28988,"date":"2018-05-10T09:43:24","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T14:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2018\/05\/10\/number-of-foreign-college-students-staying-and-working-in-u-s-after-graduation-surges\/"},"modified":"2024-08-13T12:23:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T16:23:36","slug":"number-of-foreign-college-students-staying-and-working-in-u-s-after-graduation-surges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2018\/05\/10\/number-of-foreign-college-students-staying-and-working-in-u-s-after-graduation-surges\/","title":{"rendered":"Number of Foreign College Students Staying and Working in U.S. After Graduation Surges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Students cheer during commencement ceremonies at Columbia University in New York City. (Spencer Platt\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Between 2004 and 2016, nearly 1.5 million foreign graduates of U.S. colleges and universities obtained authorization to remain and work in the U.S. through the federal government\u2019s Optional Practical Training program<\/a> (OPT). More than half (53%) of the foreign graduates approved for employment specialized in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data received through a Freedom of Information Act request.[1. Data received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are from the U.S. government\u2019s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) \u2013 an automated foreign student monitoring system. SEVIS is managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program within ICE.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many foreign STEM graduates enrolled with OPT after executive actions in 2008<\/a> and 2016<\/a> initially doubled (29 months), then later tripled (36 months), the maximum length of employment for foreign students with STEM degrees. The number of foreign STEM graduates participating in OPT grew by 400% since the first employment extension was introduced in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OPT is one mechanism by which the U.S. can compete with other countries for top talent. It is less well-known than the H-1B visa program \u2013 which enables U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers and is the nation\u2019s largest temporary employment visa program \u2013 yet OPT approvals actually outnumbered initial H-1B visa approvals in recent years.[2. While this refers to initial approvals for the H-1B visa, both initial and<\/em> continuing approvals for the H-1B visa still exceed the OPT program. See Appendix C<\/a> for more details.] In addition, OPT\u2019s eligible population has been on the rise: Between 2008 and 2016, new college enrollments among foreign students on F-1 visas<\/a> grew 104%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Foreign students obtaining authorization to remain and work in the U.S. after graduation come from all corners of the globe, but the majority of them hold citizenship in Asia. Students from India, China and South Korea made up 57% of all OPT participants between 2004 and 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the data referenced in this report cover F-1 visa holders approved for OPT participation between 2004 and 2016, only those who pursued degrees in higher education (associate, bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s or doctorate) are included in the analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This data made it possible to map where foreign college graduates came from and where they were going \u2013 both for their education and their OPT employment. Major metro areas in the U.S. tend to attract large numbers of foreign students and also keep a significant share as OPT enrollees. By contrast, smaller-sized metro areas often see local foreign graduates relocate elsewhere as part of OPT employment.<\/p>\n\n\n

Terminology<\/div>