The new rule published today will lengthen the extension from 17 to 24 months.

Inside Higher Ed reports.

U.S. Extends Work Program for Some International Students

A new rule scheduled to be published today in the Federal Register will extend the postgraduation work authorization period for international students studying STEM fields in the U.S. The rule will come as relief to thousands of international students whose futures in the U.S. were thrown into question after a federal judge invalidated a 2008 rule governing the program on procedural grounds.

The new rule addresses a program known as optional practical training, or OPT, which permits international students to work in the U.S. for 12 months after graduation. Under the 2008 rule, students studying STEM fields were eligible to apply for a 17-month OPT extension, for a total of 29 months of work authorization.