Is It Difficult To Find A Job In USA For Students On OPT Program And H1B Visa?

What is H1B Visa and OPT Program for International Students?

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant work visa that allows US companies to sponsor and invite skilled international workers. An H1B visa is generally a three-year visa, which can be extended for up to six years. The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program gives international students in the USA, primarily those on F1 visas or US student visa, the chance to work in their field of study for up to 12 months. If you are a graduate in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), you can get the opportunity to extend your OPT an additional 24 months. For many students on OPT, obtaining an H1B sponsorship is an important step to continue working in the USA.

OPT Tax Proposal and H1B Visa Fee Hike

Recently, the Donald Trump administration introduced reforms for immigrants aiming to work on an H1B visa or while on OPT training. These reforms will impact Indian students who invest largely in their education in the USA. The recent reforms include:

• OPT Tax Proposal: There are ongoing discussions about introducing an additional tax of 25% on companies that employ OPT students. In addition, another proposal is made to end the FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax exemption for international students on Optional Practical Training (OPT). FICA is a payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare.

• H-1B Visa Fee Hike: The H1B visa fees were around $2,000 - $5,000. Wth the new policy introduced by the Donald Trump administration, the visa fees have increased to $100,000 for new applications. This major reform has been made to prioritize American workers over internationally skilled workers.

Both of these changes will impact how US employers recruit international workers and further impact the competition for jobs.

Will the H1B $100k visa fee affect F1 students?

A major concern amongst Indian students on F1 visa in USA is whether the increase in H1B visa fee will impact them or not. An H1B visa is a type of work visa in USA. It has no direct impact on F1 students. However, if the F1 students plan on entering the job market in the USA, it might affect them. After completing their OPT training, students generally use an H1B as a pathway to enter the job market in India. Hence, at that time of transition from OPT to H1B, this visa fee hike will affect the students with limited job opportunities and high competition.

H1b Visa Fees Old vs New

The old H1B Visa fee ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the size of the company applying for it. While the newly signed proclamation by the US President Donald Trump increased the H1B Visa fee from 12:01 AM on 21st-Sep-2025 to $100,000 for every H-1B application.

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Challenges Indian Students Face in Finding OPT Jobs in USA

It is difficult to find jobs under the OPT program in USA for Indian students. As per the latest data of August 2025 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the USA has increased to 4.3%. The following challenges might come up while finding jobs in USA for OPT students.

• Time Restrictions: Finding jobs in USA as OPT students can be difficult, especially when there is a rule to get a job within 90 days of starting the OPT program. Moreover, the USCIS application and approval process can take months to complete.

• Restrictions by Employers: Many employers in USA hesitate to employ international students as the entire process involves paperwork and causes financial challenges. In addition, with the new policy on H1B visa fee increases, Employers in USA will prioritize domestic workers over international workers.

• High Competition: The job market in the USA is highly competitive, especially for international students. Similarly, for OPT students, finding jobs in USA has become challenging.

• New OPT Tax Proposal: The US government is coming up with new reforms and policies for immigrants. Recently, there has been a proposal to charge FICA tax for international workers. In addition, under the HIRE Act it has been proposed that employers planning to employ OPT students will also be liable to pay a tax of around 25%. If this proposal is accepted, then it will affect the jobs of OPT students.

Challenges Indian Students Face in Finding H1B Jobs in USA

As per the 2024 data, 71% of H1B approvals were for Indian skilled workers. However, Indian students face difficulty in finding H1B jobs in the USA. Now more than ever, as the Donald Trump administration has announced the H1B visa fee will increase to $100,000, the difficulty of obtaining a job in the USA on an H1B has become more uncertain for Indian students. The following factors also contribute to the challenging job market for H1B.

Increased visa fees: With the recent introduction of increased H1B visa fees of $100,000, there will be increased uncertainty of getting a job on H1B for Indian students. This is because not all employers will be ready to pay such a large amount of money for entry-level positions. However, there are changes that highly skilled workers might obtain jobs on H1B.

Unpredictable selection: Every year USA permits 65,000 regular applicants for H1B visa and an additional 20,000 for those holding USA master’s degree or higher. However, the number of applications increases, which makes this nentire process unpredictable.

Strict Rules on H1B: Even if a candidate receives a job on H1B, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will examine the selected employee rigorously. In some cases, officers may issue Requests for Evidence (RFEs) asking for more documentation or may even deny applications.

H1B Visa vs US Student Visa

It is important to understand the difference between the H1B visa and US student visa which is also known as F1 visa.

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