US proposes $100,000 charge for international students to do post-graduate work

What is Optional Practical Training (OPT), and how does it let international students work in the United States after graduating?

Optional Practical Training, or OPT, is a work programme for overseas students who complete undergraduate or graduate degrees in the United States. It allows them to gain employment in the country for up to three years after graduation. This matters because it connects American higher education with the US workforce and gives international graduates a route into professional jobs.

For example, an international student finishing a STEM graduate degree can use OPT to work for up to three years. The programme supports employment at major technology companies, including Google and Amazon. STEM graduates can also receive a two-year extension beyond the initial period.

About 420,000 international students used OPT in the 2025–26 academic year. That represented roughly one-third of all international students and made OPT the largest pipeline of global talent into the US workforce. Proposed charges could sharply reduce participation, weakening this pathway.

How much would graduates and STEM graduates have to pay under the proposed rule, and how many international students currently use OPT?

The proposed rule would impose a $70,000 charge for a graduate’s first year in OPT. A STEM graduate seeking the programme’s two-year extension would pay an additional $30,000. Together, those charges would create a possible $100,000 price tag for STEM graduates who want to work in the United States after finishing their studies.

The scale is striking because OPT is widely used. Roughly 420,000 international students participated during the 2025–26 academic year. That was about one-third of all international students in the United States. The programme has also expanded dramatically over the past decade as graduates joined leading technology companies.

The proposed fee would therefore affect a large existing talent stream, not a small specialist programme. The Department of Homeland Security projected that OPT enrollment could fall by as much as 44% if the rule becomes final. Universities could also face major annual costs.

Who proposed the charge, and what changes would the rule make to the financial responsibilities of universities and graduates?

The proposed charge came from the administration of US President Donald Trump and was issued by the US Department of Homeland Security. The proposal would change who carries the financial burden of OPT. Instead of leaving the programme’s required charge entirely to participating graduates, it would require academic institutions to foot the bill for the work programme.

At the same time, graduates would face substantial direct charges under the proposal. The first year would cost $70,000, while STEM graduates would pay an additional $30,000 for a two-year extension. Thus, the rule combines institutional costs with a potentially $100,000 charge for STEM graduates using the full pathway.

DHS projected that universities would pay between $8.4 billion and $16.5 billion annually. The proposal could also reduce OPT enrollment by as much as 44%. Universities might then lose international students, tuition and other revenue, even as they become responsible for large programme-related payments.

Why does the Department of Homeland Security say the charge is needed, and what problem is the rule intended to address?

The Department of Homeland Security says the charge is needed to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system and protect US workers. A DHS spokesperson also said the $100,000 charge would strengthen programme oversight while addressing concerns about fraud and abuse.

The proposal therefore treats the charge as a control and enforcement tool, not simply a payment for permission to work. DHS argues that requiring money from institutions and participants could support closer oversight of OPT. The programme allows international graduates to work in the United States for up to three years.

The article does not provide specific examples of fraud or abuse that the proposed charge would prevent. It does report that DHS did not respond to questions about the proposal’s effect on the international STEM talent pipeline. Independent projections instead focus on reduced enrollment, university costs and possible damage to scientific recruitment.

What could happen to international student enrollment, university revenue, and the number of graduates working in the United States if the rule takes effect?

If the rule takes effect, fewer international students may choose US colleges because the cost of working after graduation would become extremely high. DHS projects that OPT enrollment could fall by as much as 44%. Michael Clemens’s analysis is more specific: enrollment after bachelor’s degrees could be halved, while participation by master’s graduates could be virtually eliminated.

The financial effect could reach universities directly. Clemens projects that US colleges and universities could lose $2.5 billion to $4.2 billion each year in tuition and other revenue. Separately, DHS estimates that institutions would pay $8.4 billion to $16.5 billion annually under the proposed rule.

The workforce effect could be substantial, especially in science and engineering. OPT drew roughly 70% of international PhD graduates in STEM fields in 2022. Clemens says combined restrictions could “obliterate the pipeline,” while a National Academies analysis projects the entire US STEM workforce could shrink by 6–11% over a decade.

Why might international students and highly skilled researchers choose other countries instead of the United States if work opportunities become more expensive or restricted?

International students may choose other countries if working in the United States becomes unaffordable or uncertain. A $100,000 charge would make the US pathway much less attractive, especially when graduates can consider destinations with fewer financial barriers. The article notes that top prospects have the freedom to look elsewhere.

The mechanism is straightforward: students often weigh education against the chance to build a career afterward. If OPT becomes harder to access, the value of a US degree may fall for people who need post-graduation work experience. Ina Ganguli says the rule would change the type of students coming to the United States because top prospects can look elsewhere.

The article reports that international enrollment could drop sharply and that universities could lose $2.5 billion to $4.2 billion annually. It also says earlier restrictions caused new applications for a visa for highly skilled workers to fall by 90%. Together, such measures could weaken scientific recruitment.

How do international graduates contribute to a country's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and innovation economy?

International graduates contribute to a country’s STEM workforce by moving from universities into jobs that use advanced scientific and technical training. Their work adds skilled people to research, engineering and technology sectors. In the United States, OPT creates a direct bridge between international education and employment after graduation.

The article gives a clear example: OPT drew roughly 70% of international PhD graduates in STEM fields in 2022. International graduates have also used the programme to work at major technology companies such as Google and Amazon. Their participation helps supply employers with people trained through US undergraduate and graduate programmes.

The article links this talent pipeline to the wider innovation economy, although it does not measure individual inventions or companies created by graduates. Clemens and colleagues project that the entire US STEM workforce could fall by 6–11% over a decade if all the administration’s proposals are implemented. Restricting the pathway could therefore reduce scientific capacity.

Key Facts:

📌 - OPT allows international graduates to work in the United States for up to three years.

📌 - The programme covers students completing undergraduate or graduate degrees.

📌 - OPT is the largest pipeline of global talent into the US workforce.

📌 - The first OPT year would carry a proposed $70,000 charge.

📌 - STEM graduates would pay another $30,000 for the extension.

📌 - About 420,000 international students used OPT in 2025–26.

📌 - The Department of Homeland Security issued the proposed rule.