US proposes $70,000 fee for foreign students seeking temporary work

What is the Optional Practical Training programme, and how does it let foreign students work in the United States after graduating?

Optional Practical Training, or OPT, is a programme for foreign students who complete courses in the United States. It allows them to work temporarily in jobs connected to what they studied. The article describes OPT as lasting one to two years after graduation.

For example, a student who completes a technology course could seek related practical work. Before the student applies for employment authorisation from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, an institute certified under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program recommends the student for OPT. The programme therefore links a student’s education, school recommendation, and separate work authorisation.

OPT matters because it gives foreign graduates a temporary way to use their education in the US workforce. More than 1.4 lakh Indian students participated during 2024–25. The proposed $70,000 fee could make schools more selective before recommending students, potentially changing access to this work route.

What exactly is the United States proposing, and who would have to pay the $70,000 and later $30,000 fees?

The proposal would require institutes certified under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to pay $70,000 before recommending foreign students for OPT. The payment would also come before those students apply for employment authorisation with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. This would place a major financial responsibility on participating schools.

A school recommending a student for an initial OPT period would therefore face the $70,000 charge. If the student later sought another participation in the programme, the proposal would require an additional $30,000 fee. The article gives approximate rupee values of Rs 67 lakh and Rs 29 lakh.

The proposal is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security says the fees would encourage stronger school oversight and help combat fraud and abuse. The article does not state whether schools could pass the costs to students or employers, so that outcome remains uncertain.

How many Indian students were studying in the United States, and how many were participating in OPT in 2024–25?

During the academic year 2024–25, more than 3.6 lakh Indian students were studying in the United States. The figure comes from data published by the Institute of International Education. It shows the large scale of Indian student participation in American higher education.

More than 1.4 lakh of those Indian students were participating in OPT during the same period. OPT permits foreign graduates to work temporarily in the US in fields related to their education. The programme therefore affects not only students’ studies, but also their transition into practical employment.

These numbers explain why the proposed fees could matter especially to Indian students and US institutions serving them. The figures are reported for 2024–25, while the fee is only proposed. The article does not say how many students would lose access if the rule takes effect or whether participation would fall.

What could happen to foreign students, universities, and US employers if the proposed fees take effect?

The proposed fees could reshape how foreign students, universities, and employers use OPT. A $70,000 payment before each initial recommendation is a substantial burden for a certified institute. Schools might recommend fewer students or impose additional financial conditions, although the article does not say exactly how they would respond.

For example, a university considering two otherwise eligible graduates might have to weigh the $70,000 fee before recommending either one. A later participation would require another $30,000. The proposal’s mechanism is financial: it makes schools bear the cost and encourages them to apply greater oversight and selectivity.

Foreign students could face reduced access to temporary, education-related work. Employers might have fewer foreign graduates available through OPT, while some could face changes in recruitment. The Department of Homeland Security expects the measure to reduce cheap-labour flows and fraud, but the article does not provide an estimate of job losses, approvals, or final economic effects.

Why does the Department of Homeland Security say the fees are needed to reduce cheap labour, fraud, and abuses such as pay-to-stay visa schemes?

The Department of Homeland Security says OPT has been exploited by some schools, designated school officials, employers, and F-1 students. It points to schemes involving problematic worksites and “pay-to-stay” visa arrangements. In its view, these practices misuse a programme intended for education-related practical training.

The proposed mechanism is to make certified institutes pay $70,000 before recommending a student, with $30,000 for later participation. DHS says this financial hurdle would encourage schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity. It also argues that students would need to justify their value to employers, rather than entering the workforce through a route it describes as cheap-labour driven.

The administration presents the fees as a way to combat fraud, abuse, and unfair competition for American workers. It says OPT was not meant to be a back door into the workforce. These are the department’s stated reasons; the article does not establish whether the proposal would eliminate the alleged schemes.

What other routes can foreign graduates use to obtain permission to work in the United States, and how do they differ from OPT?

The article does not list alternative work routes for foreign graduates. Under established US immigration rules, possible routes can include employer-sponsored temporary visas, employment-based permanent immigration, and other work categories for which a graduate independently qualifies. Availability depends on the person’s nationality, job, qualifications, employer, and current rules.

These routes differ from OPT in their legal basis. OPT is connected to a student’s F-1 status, education, school recommendation, and employment authorisation. An employer-sponsored route usually depends more directly on an employer filing or supporting a petition for a specified job. A permanent employment route seeks longer-term immigration rather than the temporary, education-related work described in the article.

The proposed fees concern OPT recommendations by certified institutes, not every possible work route. However, the article does not explain whether the proposal would affect other visas or how graduates could switch routes. Exact eligibility, timing, caps, and employer duties would need to be checked under current US rules.

How do student visas, work authorisation, and immigration policy determine whether a foreign student may legally work in another country?

Student visas, work authorisation, and immigration policy perform different jobs. A student visa establishes whether a foreign national may enter and study under stated conditions. Work authorisation determines whether that person may take a particular job. Immigration policy sets the limits, procedures, fees, and enforcement rules governing both.

In this article, foreign students study in the US under the student system and may seek OPT after completing courses. A certified institute must recommend them, and they must then apply for employment authorisation with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The proposed rule would add a large fee before those steps, changing how the route operates.

A student therefore cannot assume that enrolment alone permits employment. The exact answer depends on the country’s law, visa category, programme, job, timing, and authorisation document. In the US context described here, OPT provides temporary, education-related work, while the broader immigration crackdown may introduce additional restrictions or enforcement.

Key Facts:

📌 OPT lets foreign students work in the US after completing their courses.

📌 The work must be related to the student’s education.

📌 OPT generally lasts one to two years.

📌 Certified institutes would pay a proposed $70,000 initial fee.

📌 A later OPT participation would carry a proposed $30,000 fee.

📌 The initial fee is approximately Rs 67 lakh.

📌 More than 3.6 lakh Indian students studied in the US in 2024–25.