(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday declined to reconsider a three-judge panel's ruling that upheld the Obama-era expansion of a program allowing student visa holders to work in the U.S. after graduating.
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied review by the full court of the October ruling over the dissent of two Republican-appointed judges, who said the court had ignored a requirement in federal immigration law that visa holders be "bona fide students" to remain in the United States.
The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, or Washtech, which represents American tech workers, challenged the decades-old Optional Practical Training (OPT) program after the Obama administration in 2016 tweaked it to allow students to work in the U.S. for up to three years.
Washtech did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nor did the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the OPT program.
Major business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers had intervened in the case to defend the program, which they say helps companies address a lack of qualified U.S. workers.
Some version of OPT has existed since 1947. The 2016 rule allows students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields to receive work permits...
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