President Donald Trump’s administration is considering imposing a $100,000 fee on international students seeking to work in the United States after graduation from American universities.
The proposed fee, which would apply to the optional practical training (OPT) programme, is still under discussion at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
It is unclear whether the White House will approve the proposal or whether foreign students or their prospective employers will pay the fee.
As of 2024, about 419,000 foreign nationals were working under OPT, a programme that allows international graduates to work in the U.S. for up to three years on student visas.
The proposal, which could discourage foreigners from choosing the U.S. as a study destination, is part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
It would also affect universities that rely on tuition from international students, as well as companies that employ foreign graduates for skilled roles in the technology and finance sectors.
The move follows a recent ruling that invalidated Mr Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applicationsfor foreign skilled workers. The policy faced heavy pushback from state attorneys general and technology companies, prompting the administration to limit the fee to new foreign recruits seeking to enter the U.S.
IT and accounting firms typically hire foreign workers through H-1B visas, while leading tech and finance companies prefer international graduates from American universities before later converting them to H-1B status.
“No policies should be considered final until formally announced,” a DHS spokeswoman said in a statement. “At DHS, we are always having conversations about how to use all tools in our arsenal to protect the integrity of our legal immigration system.”
The Trump administration has increasingly proposed $100,000 fees as part of its immigration enforcement efforts aimed at blocking foreign nationals with limited financial resources from entering the U.S.
Aside from the proposed H-1B and student visa fees, officials are also considering a $100,000 bond for green card applicants outside the U.S., redeemable only after they become citizens.
If approved, the OPT fee would likely be tied to the Trump administration’s new requirement introduced earlier this month, requiring foreign students to apply for a visa extension before taking part in the OPT programme.
The DHS is working on changes to the OPT programme, expected to be announced later this year. Advocates warned the changes could force international graduates to leave the U.S. after graduating from American universities, taking the skills they acquired there to foreign markets.
