The Trump administration has proposed charging universities $70,000 for each international student they recommend for work authorization in the U.S. after graduation, a sweeping change that could sharply restrict access to a program used by hundreds of thousands of foreign students. Under the proposed Optional Practical Training Fees rule, schools certified to enroll foreign students would pay $70,000 for a student’s first Optional Practical Training recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation, including eligible extensions. The fees are not yet in effect and would apply only if the proposal is finalized following public comment.
Under current rules, eligible F-1 students may receive up to 12 months of temporary employment authorization for work related to their field of study. Graduates with qualifying STEM degrees may be eligible for an additional 24-month extension. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the proposed charges were intended to combat fraud, encourage universities to scrutinize applications more closely and protect American workers.
The department cited suspected “pay-to-stay” schemes, false workplaces and other alleged abuses of the program. Those are the administration’s stated justifications and should be framed as such rather than presented as independently established conclusions. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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