Hyderabad: Uncertainty over the proposed Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme in the US has left many young Indian graduates in the lurch. Speaking to TOI, several graduates have claimed that it has dampened their employment prospects with local consultancies refusing to start their hiring process until there is clarity on the bill.Worried, many students back home in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are now either withdrawing their applications or reassessing their plans to pursue a degree from the US.OPT is a temporary employment authorisation that allows international students with F-1 visas to work in their field of study for up to three years after graduation. The proposed legislation seeks to repeal this OPT programme, to protect the job market for American citizens.This year, about 3.3 lakh Indian students are likely to graduate with a master’s degree from US universities. If this bill is passed, lakhs of students, especially from the Telugu-speaking states which make up about 13% of the total cohort, will lose out on crucial post-study work period — a major factor driving them to choose the US as their favoured destination for higher education.Interviews on hold“A day before the first round of interview with a Seattle-based tech company, I was told that the hiring process is on hold until there’s a final decision on the OPT bill. The consultancy said that I will be informed when I can interview next,” said a computer science graduate from California. “The recruiter admitted that international hiring has been stalled since they are unsure whether they can hire OPT candidates in the coming months,” added the graduate, who went to the US from Hyderabad in 2021.Another 25-year-old from Nagpur, who recently completed her master’s in cyber security from Los Angeles, said she faced rejections specifically because of the proposed OPT bill. “At least two companies told me they’re not processing OPT-based roles right now. I interned with one of them and they almost decided to continue with me as a full-time employee, but now have put brakes on that,” the graduate said, wondering if she should return to India.Students withdrawing applicationsIn Hyderabad, educational consultants say they are already seeing students, scheduled to travel to the US for the May intake 2025 session, drop out at the last minute. “We’ve had about 12 students withdraw their applications in just two weeks. Parents are hesitant to spend Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh when there’s no assurance of work experience or job placement,” said Chirandeep P, from a registered consultancy in the city.Many planning to apply are also reassessing their decision. “My daughter was supposed to apply for a master’s in biomedical engineering this year. As a family, we have agreed to put that on hold for now,” said N Vemuganti from Hyderabad. “Without OPT, it’s not a viable move,” he added.Similarly, Shubhan Jay from the city, who wanted to move to the US for project management, dropped his plan. “After my under-graduation from Chennai, I decided to work for a couple of years, before applying for my master’s in the US. I finished two years at my job, but I don’t think I want to go to the US now. I am thinking of going to other countries in Europe.”