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The Trump administration is considering imposing a $100,000 fee on foreign students who want to work in the United States after graduating from American universities, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The fee would be attached to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows foreign graduates to work in the U.S. for one to three years on student visas.
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The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the administration is weighing the idea of adding the fee to the OPT program. The report was carried by Yonhap News Agency, which noted that the proposed measure, if implemented, could affect U.S. universities that rely on foreign student enrollment as well as Silicon Valley and Wall Street firms that hire international graduates for technical positions.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that about 419,000 foreigners were working on OPT in 2024, based on the latest available data. The consideration of the fee follows a proclamation signed by President Trump in September last year that would impose a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B nonimmigrant visa applications for highly skilled foreign workers. Last week, a U.S. appeals court blocked that H-1B fee proclamation, upholding a lower court's decision.
The proposed OPT fee is still under discussion at the Department of Homeland Security, according to the report. It remains unclear whether the White House will approve the fee and who would be responsible for paying it — the foreign students or their prospective employers.