Student visas allowed nearly 100K workers to be employed in Michigan, especially in STEM fields

By: Katherine Dailey

Outlets: Michigan Advance

Published: April 6, 2026

Words: 598

Last Updated: 3 months, 3 weeks ago

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Nearly 100,000 international students worked in Michigan after their graduation under the Optional Practical Training, or OPT, portion of their student visas from 2013–2022 — including over 50,000 engineering jobs, according to a new report from Global Detroit.

The vast majority of these workers — 88% — are in STEM fields, and around the same percentage had either master’s or doctoral degrees in their field.

All F-1 student visa holders are eligible …

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