F-1 OPT and STEM OPT Work Authorization Here to Stay
A little more good news to share regarding Optional Practical Training, including STEM OPT, eligibility for F-1 students. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order on Monday, November 30, 2020 that backs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security rules as it relates to the F-1 work benefits. Further details of the opinion explaining why the court order came to their decision are expected to be issued within the next 60 days. Once this this is made available, we will provide the link in the Additional Resources of this blog post. As of now, the only way that this decision can change is if the plaintiffs trying to undo the OPT and STEM OPT benefits, decide to appeal the court’s recent decision and a higher court overturns the decision made by the District Court.
So, OPT and STEM OPT are here to stay. As crazy as this year has been, let’s be thankful for the good news.
Additional Resources:
- NAFSA – STEM OPT WashTech Litigation: https://www.nafsa.org/professional-resources/browse-by-interest/stem-opt-washtech-litigation
- Foster LLP: https://www.fosterglobal.com/blog/federal-court-upholds-f-1-student-opt-and-stem-opt-work-authorization-rules/