Fake offices, Indian HR network, and more: Inside the ICE crackdown on OPT foreign student job programme

The United States has uncovered a potential fraud linked to its Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. The immigration scheme allows foreign students to temporarily work in America after completing their graduation.

The alleged abuse discovered by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has brought further scrutiny to OPT. The development comes amid the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, both illegal and legal.

Let’s take a closer look.

‘Fraud’ found in OPT

ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said on Tuesday (May 12) that the law enforcement agency has found over 10,000 cases of potential fraud tied to the Optional Practical Training programme.

OPT allows foreign students and recent graduates in the US on F-1 or M-1 non-immigrant visas to work temporarily.

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Under the programme, most foreign nationals on a student visa can work for up to a year in the US. Students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields can extend their stay and work for even 24 months.

OPT also allows students to transition to an H-1B visa sponsored by employers in the US.

Addressing a press conference with officials from ICE and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Lyons revealed that federal investigators conducted site visits and identified thousands of cases of potential fraud.

“Our nation will not tolerate security threats originating from the foreign student programme,” the ICE acting director said.

How OPT ‘fraud’ is linked to India

During their field visit, OPT beneficiaries were being “managed” by employees based in India.

They said this flouted a provision of the programme that requires US training and direction.

The ICE acting director said that when the student job programme was introduced during the George W Bush administration and later expanded under President Barack Obama, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had expected limited participation.

“As the programme size exploded, so did the fraud. During the first Trump administration, we uncovered thousands of foreign students claiming employment at work sites that did not exist, blatantly fabricating information provided to DHS. Under the Biden administration, the fraud escalated even further,” Lysons claimed.

The officials accused some shell companies of financial fraud. They alleged these firms violated US law by helping recent graduates stay in the US without sponsorship from a legitimate American company.

Federal investigators visited locations supposedly employing hundreds of foreign students. However, they found only empty buildings and locked office doors.

In some cases, several OPT companies were listed at the same address. But none of these firms rented or operated from those sites.

They alleged that some companies showed suspicious cash transfers and possible contract violations.

Officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said agents travelled to 18 suspected OPT sites in Texas last week. They claimed to have discovered "coordinated networks", with many OPT workers appearing on nearly identical company websites and sharing the same job postings.

Recalling a case, officials said at the press conference that company representatives informed investigators they employed only three OPT students. However, government records showed that the business was actually connected to around 500 international students.

Officials claimed that company staff failed to answer even basic questions, telling investigators to contact human resources personnel based in India.

OPT comes under scrutiny

The findings are expected to trigger calls from the right to bring reforms to these visa programmes.

US Vice President JD Vance wrote on X, "Another great win for our fraud task force. We will not tolerate foreign nationals abusing our visa system at the expense of the American people."

Trump's Maga base has railed against OPT and other programmes like H-1B visas that allow certain students and high-skilled employees from around the world to enter the US and work for American employers.

The far-right alleges that these programmes are being exploited to avoid recruiting higher-paid American college graduates.

Last year, the Trump administration initiated a crackdown on foreign student visas, including OPT recipients. USCIS chief Joseph Edlow told lawmakers in 2025 that he would take actions to end the programme.

With inputs from agencies