1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to support the Keep Innovators in America Act, which codifies the Optional Practical Training program into the Immigration and Nationality Act. This bill provides legal certainty to a program that has operated for years under regulatory authority alone, protecting it from sudden changes and legal challenges that have repeatedly threatened international students and the employers who rely on them. Codifying OPT makes economic sense. U.S. universities educate some of the world's brightest minds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. When we train these students and then force them to leave immediately after graduation, we're handing our global competitors a workforce we paid to develop. This bill lets graduates apply their skills here while maintaining their student status and pursuing permanent residency, keeping talent in America instead of exporting it. The bill formalizes what already works without creating new bureaucracy. It uses existing infrastructure through USCIS and educational institutions, so implementation costs are minimal. By amending Section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, it gives statutory backing to a program that benefits students, employers, research institutions, and American innovation. This is about competitiveness and common sense.