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US Proposes $70,000 Fee Per Student for International Students' OPT Work Program
The Department of Homeland Security proposed Wednesday that schools pay $70,000 for each international student's initial OPT application and $30,000 per renewal, framing it as an anti-fraud measure; higher education groups warn it would devastate international enrollment.
Why it matters
This is the latest escalation in the US crackdown on international students: OPT is the main legal pathway for hundreds of thousands of foreign graduates to work in America, and schools may pass the costs on to students or employers, sharply raising the price of a US education. Higher education groups warn it would devastate international enrollment and the tech industry's talent pipeline.
Full report
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a new rule requiring schools to pay $70,000 for each international student's initial application to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, plus $30,000 for each renewal. OPT allows international students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their studies — generally one year after graduation, with STEM graduates eligible for an additional two years.
DHS framed the fee as an anti-fraud measure, calling OPT a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor," and said that without the fees it might terminate the OPT program altogether. The public has 60 days to comment before the department can finalize the rule, and higher education and business groups are expected to mount legal challenges.
Background
The proposal is the latest in a string of restrictions: a $100,000 fee on H-1B petitions (currently blocked by a court order), the termination of legal status for thousands of students last year, and a rule limiting students to four years in the US without federal approval. Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, the association for international educators, warned that "driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership."
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