Big jump in job program for foreign graduates

WASHINGTON – A program that allows foreign students to stay in the United States for temporary employment after graduation has expanded significantly over a dozen years as technical companies stepped up hiring of science and engineering majors, according to a report released Thursday.

The study by Pew Research Center in Washington comes as colleges and universities across the country struggle with falling enrollment by foreign students amid the Trump administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and policies.

In 2016, 172,000 foreign nationals who went to college or university in the U.S. got a job through the Optional Practical Training program, compared to 45,000 in 2004, according to the report. Participation in the program surged after President George W. Bush and then President Barack Obama extended the length of stay for science, technology, engineering and math majors.

Neil Ruiz, a co-author of the report, said the program has been key in attracting foreign students to study in America and keep them here after they graduate. U.S. universities have the largest foreign student population in the world.

According to a separate study by the Association of International Educators, foreign students contributed $37 billion in tuition and living expenses to the U.S. economy in the academic year 20162017.

“It is very important to remember that we are in a global competition for talent,” said Jill Welch, the association’s deputy executive director for public policy. “We do not have to lose these talented and valuable international students to other nations.”

But enrollment has been dropping. The Institute of International Education found that the number of new college students coming to the United States from overseas fell by 7 percent since Donald Trump was elected president. The group attributes the decline to his travel restrictions for nationals of some predominantly Muslim countries, as well as competition from countries like Canada, Australia and Britain.

And the Trump administration is also considering changes to the temporary employment program. Although no details on the changes have been released, Trump generally has championed prioritizing American workers.

Rajika Bhandari, head of research at the Institute of International Education, said the program has successfully attracted science and engineering talent to the United States and boosted science research and innovation. If the program is scaled back, she warned, those students might choose other destinations.

“The U.S. will significantly lose its edge in science and innovation if international students in the sciences and engineering choose to go to other countries that have very strong and attractive post-study opportunities,” Bhandari said.