(The Myth: International students become workers who take jobs away from Americans.) Whether through Optional Practical Training (OPT), the post-study work program available to international students, or through subsequent employment through H-1B visas and/or Green Cards, multiple sources of evidence show that the presence of international students is beneficial for the U.S. Twenty-five percent of founders of a $1 billion U.S. startup first came to America as an international student.[2] Companies founded by immigrants are worth an estimated $168 billion and have generated thousands of U.S. jobs. Check out OPT participation by state here. The larger the presence of H-1B visa holders in a metro area, the larger the growth in invention (measured in patents) by both immigrant groups as well as by U.S. native-born workers.[3] Additionally, it is projected that an increase in H-1B visas could yield 1.3 million new jobs and add $158 billion to the U.S. GDP by 2045.