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ICE flags 10000 foreign students as OPT fraud suspects including some Indians
International
Published on 14 May 2026
Some OPT “beneficiaries” were managed from India
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it has identified 10,000 foreign students, including some from India, accused of abusing the Optional Practical Training (OPT) part of their visas. OPT allows limited US work for up to 12 months, sometimes 24, and can be a path to H-1B sponsorship. ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said investigators found cases involving suspect employers and instances where beneficiaries were “managed” from India, violating rules requiring US training and direction. ICE calls OPT a “magnet for fraud.”
- ICE says it identified 10,000 foreign students in OPT fraud probes
- OPT lets students work in the US for 12 months, or 24 in some cases
- Investigators allege some jobs were tied to “highly suspect” employers
- Officials cited cases where direction and management occurred from India
- ICE warns OPT has expanded beyond expectations into a guest-worker pipeline
- ICE says the program has drawn investigations across Homeland Security
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times