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GOP Rep. Moore alleges foreign labor misuse via student visas
Moore accused corporations and universities of exploiting nonimmigrant worker programs that “replace American workers with foreign labor.”
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Tue, 21, Apr 2026
- 05:03 EDT
- 27
Rep. Riley Moore / Wikimedia commons
Republican U.S. Rep. Riley M. Moore expressed concerns over "practical training" programs like OPT and CPT turning into backdoor pipelines for cheap foreign labor in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, dated April 20.
Expressing his opinion, Moore wrote, “I would like to highlight serious concerns regarding the Optional Practical Training Program (OPT), STEM-OPT, the Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and other related work authorization programs for foreign students utilizing the F-1 student visa program and the immense harm these programs are inflicting upon American workers.”
Moore went on to accuse corporations and universities of exploiting nonimmigrant worker programs that “replace American workers with foreign labor.”
OPT is temporary employment authorization, up to 12 months, for F-1 students in jobs related to their major, which can be used before or after the completion of their graduation.
OPT has long complemented the H-1B visa system by allowing graduates to gain work experience before transitioning to longer-term employment pathways. The program is especially important in STEM sectors, where U.S. employers face persistent talent shortages.
ALSO READ: Trump administration reevaluating OPT work route for foreign students
CPT (Curricular Practical Training), on the other hand, is work authorization for F-1 students that allows paid or unpaid internships, co-ops or practicums directly related to and integral to their academic program. CPT can be authorized only before completion of graduation and requires authorization from the school.
Today, I sent a letter to @SecMullinDHS urging him to terminate OPT, STEM-OPT, and CPT.
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) April 20, 2026
The story of these programs is simple: Big Tech chose to lobby the deep state for foreign labor rather than pay fair wages to Americans.
Here's how it happened. pic.twitter.com/qk6jHK8bsF
Leveling serious allegations against the big tech companies, Moore noted, “For years, Big Tech lobbyists have quietly worked with previous administrations to turn ‘practical training’ programs into backdoor pipelines for cheap foreign labor.”
Moore also raised concerns over the OPT program and similar worker programs existing only through regulation, not a statutory framework enacted by Congress.
He continued, “They even urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rewrite OPT regulations in secret to avoid H-1B caps Congress deliberately imposed.”
He also claimed that this “regulatory sleight-of-hand” mocks Congress and hands powerful corporations “a limitless supply of underpaid, tax-advantaged workers to displace America’s own talent.”
The letter comes almost a month after U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, introduced a bipartisan bill to protect a key work program for international students, aiming to retain foreign graduates, including thousands from India.
The Keep Innovators in America Act aims to codify the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program into law, providing long-term certainty for students, universities and employers.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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