US Visa rules altered; Techies can stay longer

New Delhi: Just a few weeks after Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates’ testimony to the House of Representatives, the US government has extended the time foreign graduates can stay and work after graduation from 12 to 29 months. This means that a graduating student now gets a longer stay in the US without a worker visa, typically an H1-B. The decision also extends the period of stay and work authorization for all F-1 students with pending H-1B petitions, and allows students to apply for OPT within 60 days of graduation.……………In a press release, The US Department of Homeland Security said it had issued an interim final rule extending the period of Optional Practical Training (OPT) from 12 to 29 months for qualified F-1 non-immigrant students. The extension will be available to students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify program.……………The decision also extends the period of stay and work authorization for all F-1 students with pending H-1B petitions, and allows students to apply for OPT within 60 days of graduation.The yearly cap on H-1B visas is 65,000. [View Full Article]