Trump administration plans to charge international students US$70,000 for work authorisation

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed that international students pay at least US$70,000 in training fees if they want to work in the country, according to a government notice posted online on Wednesday, part of the Trump administration's wider crackdown on foreign visa holders.

Under the proposal, nonimmigrant students with F-1 visas would be required to pay US$70,000 to a certified institution for on-the-job training, known as Optional Practical Training (OPT), and US$30,000 for any additional work training.

DHS said the new rules were meant "to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect US workers".

Under the OPT system, foreign students can engage in work training for up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, as well as for a limited time after graduation, with an additional allowance for those with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Those who enrol are currently expected to pay around US$500.

"DHS is now setting a fee to ensure employers, students, and institutions are engaging in appropriate activities consistent with admission as an F-1 nonimmigrant," the agency said.

Such training programmes often serve as a bridge for students seeking work under H-1B visas, which the Trump administration has also targeted with increased fees.

For decades, the H-1B programme has allowed young engineers and scientists from across the world, especially India and China, to turn years of study at US universities into high-paying jobs and a path to permanent US residency.

Leading US tech companies have come to rely heavily on these workers to fill skilled positions.

When he was campaigning in 2024, President Donald Trump vowed he would make it easier for foreign students to remain in the country, suggesting they be automatically awarded a Green Card after graduation.

Like similar DHS proposals, the rule change is likely to be met with swift legal challenges.

"This proposed rule isn't going to fare well in the courts, just as the 100k H-1B fee and other restrictionist policies have been struck down," Doug Rand, director of the Talent Mobility Fund, which works to attract foreign STEM professionals, wrote on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

The proposal is subject to 30 days of public comment before it can be finalised.

DHS said it would wait 60 days after finalisation before putting the rule into effect to allow schools, students and employers time to prepare.