More and extra Indian college students learning within the US are selecting to remain again after their diploma to affix a three-year work or coaching programme, exhibits an evaluation by The Indian Express of Open Doors knowledge compiled by the US State Department and the non-profit Institute of International Education (IEE).

Data primarily based on surveys of worldwide change exercise present that of the 1.99 lakh Indian college students pursuing training within the US in 2021-22, as excessive a share as 34.2 per cent have been enrolled with Optional Practical Training (OPT) programmes that permit overseas graduates with F-1 (pupil visa) to affix paid or voluntary work as much as three years within the US (see chart).

In comparability, simply 17.6 per cent of the two.9 lakh college students of Chinese origin within the US have opted for these OPT programmes in 2021-22.

In the case of Indian college students, this can be a regular uptick: the proportion choosing OPT programmes has been growing through the years, from simply 12.8 per cent in 2006-07 to a peak of 43.9 per cent in 2020-21. For Chinese college students, this share has remained comparatively flat: from 10.6 per cent in 2006-07 to simply 17.6 per cent in 2021-22.

Incidentally, India and China account for 52 per cent of all worldwide college students within the US.

OPT is a well-liked choice for worldwide college students within the US to achieve sensible coaching expertise whereas pursuing research, or after graduating. While its period is one 12 months most often, for sure STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines, it may prolong as much as three years.

The programme confronted authorized challenges from employees’ unions within the US which argued that it goes past the scope of pupil visas, however the US Court of Appeals DC circuit upheld its validity in October final 12 months.

Students generally transition from OPT authorisation (a part of F-1 standing) to H-1B standing. OPT is seen, in lots of circumstances, as a stepping stone to an H1-B visa for overseas graduates, particularly in STEM fields. Overall, in 2021-22, Indian college students made up roughly 37 per cent of the 1,84,759 worldwide college students within the US signing up for OPT.

The Open Doors knowledge additionally present that fewer share of Indians are selecting postgraduate levels within the US – from a excessive of 79 per cent in 2003-04 to 51.2 per cent in 2021-22. China has additionally registered a dip — from 82.2 per cent in 2003-04 to 42.5 per cent in 2021-22.

But relating to undergraduate research, college students of Chinese origin within the US have risen from 13.8 per cent in 2000-01 to 37.7 per cent in 2021-22, whereas the numbers have fallen from 22.4 per cent to 13.8 per cent in India’s case.

In absolute numbers, 1,99,182 college students from India have been pursuing training within the US in 2021-22, as in opposition to 1,67,582 in 2020-21 — a 19 per cent enhance. China, in the meantime, registered a drop of 9 per cent within the newest spherical — from 3,17,299 in 2020-21 to 2,90,086 in 2021-22. This was largely attributed to Covid and the restrictive guidelines that Beijing put in place which have been eased solely final month.

In a current report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identified that amongst foreign-origin college students pursuing larger training in a few of the most developed economies on this planet, Indians are most definitely to remain again and be a part of the native workforce.

“Students from China and India, the 2 largest teams of worldwide college students within the OECD, present remarkably totally different retention behaviours. Indian college students are likely to have the next keep charge than the general worldwide pupil inhabitants.

The retention behaviour of Chinese college students is extra various, with general bigger shares leaving after their training,” states the report titled ‘International Migration Outlook 2022’.