US Proposes $70,000 Fee for Foreign Students Seeking OPT Work Permits

The United States has proposed charging a fee of 70,000 US dollars for each foreign student seeking initial access to a programme that allows international graduates to work in the country, in the latest move by the Trump administration to tighten employment-based immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Wednesday that the proposed fee would apply to F-1 international students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows eligible students to take temporary employment related to their field of study.

A subsequent period of OPT would carry a proposed fee of 30,000 US dollars. The charges would be paid by SEVP-certified schools before they recommend students for OPT, with US Citizenship and Immigration Services barred from granting employment authorisation if the required payment has not been made.

DHS said the proposed charges are intended to curb fraud, strengthen oversight of the programme and protect American workers from what it described as the misuse of OPT as a source of lower-cost labour.

“Optional Practical Training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system,” a DHS spokesperson said.

The proposed changes would affect a programme widely used by international students after completing their studies in the US. Eligible F-1 students can generally receive up to 12 months of OPT at each level of higher education, while graduates in qualifying science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields can receive an additional 24-month extension.

DHS said its Student and Exchange Visitor Program has identified cases involving schools, designated school officials, employers and students allegedly exploiting existing rules. The department cited problematic worksites and “pay-to-stay” arrangements in which students use employment programmes to maintain their immigration status rather than for genuine work experience.

Under the proposal, the fee would be linked to the school’s recommendation of a student for OPT rather than to a particular employer. The money collected would go to the US Treasury.

The administration argues that imposing a substantial financial cost would encourage universities and other certified institutions to apply greater scrutiny before recommending students for the programme.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration seeks to reshape immigration programmes around tighter enforcement and greater protection of US workers. DHS said the changes are also intended to reinforce the original purpose of OPT as a temporary training programme connected to students’ academic fields.

The proposed fees are not yet in effect. DHS will accept public comments from October 8 through November 9 before reviewing submissions and deciding whether to amend or finalise the rule.

Source: FSX Business News