Congress codifies work-visa loophole for foreign graduates, bypassing labor-market debate

What it does

This bill codifies the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program into federal immigration law by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act. Currently OPT operates under administrative guidance; this bill makes it a statutory entitlement, allowing foreign students to work in the U.S. after graduation in their field of study for periods set by the Department of Homeland Security, and permits them to maintain student status while pursuing employment-based immigration petitions.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a statutory amendment that converts an administrative program (OPT) into a codified entitlement. It is not a deregulation or a new program, but a formalization of existing practice into law.

What the text implies

• Codification removes DHS's ability to suspend, restrict, or terminate OPT unilaterally; any future changes would require legislative action, raising the political cost of policy reversal.
• The bill permits status maintenance during green-card processing, potentially extending work authorization for years beyond the initial degree, creating a de facto intermediate visa category.
• By tying employment authorization to 'field of study' without defining that term, the bill delegates boundary-setting to DHS, creating regulatory ambiguity that may lead to litigation.
• The reference to § 214(m) (cap on F-1 students) is preserved but the interaction between OPT codification and enrollment caps is unclear, potentially creating a loophole for extended work authorization outside cap limits.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill benefits U.S. employers and the broader economy by retaining skilled foreign talent and reducing visa-dependent hiring friction, and it benefits foreign students by providing statutory certainty and work authorization. However, it may reduce labor-market opportunities and wage pressure for domestic workers in fields where OPT-eligible graduates concentrate (STEM, tech, consulting), and it does not include wage-protection or labor-standard provisions that would mitigate displacement risk

Who stands to gain

• technology and software companies (primary OPT employers)
• consulting and professional services firms
• research institutions and universities (retain international talent, reduce recruitment costs)
• foreign-born workers (wage and employment security)

Named in the bill

Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(a)(15)(F)(i), Section 204(a)(1), Section 214(m), Optional Practical Training (OPT) program

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 6 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Mar 19, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 19, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

5 lobbying clients named this bill on 6 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Mar 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $20,490,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 36 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 78% of bills with at least one filing.

Sam Liccardo, the sponsor, reported $704,767 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $16,950,000 on 1 filing
• Dow Chemical Company Dba Dow — $2,740,000 on 2 filings
• Semi — $470,000 on 1 filing
• Fwd.us — $250,000 on 1 filing
• Rutgers the State University of New Jersey — $80,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.