Trump administration proposes $70,000 fee for foreign students to work in US

The US department of homeland security (DHS) has proposed a $70,000 fee for non-immigrant international students seeking to participate in optional practical training (OPT), a temporary programme that allows students to work in jobs related to their course during or after their time in school.

Students are generally eligible for one year of work after graduation, while those in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are eligible for an additional two years.

Under the proposed rule, schools would be required to pay the $70,000 for each student’s initial application to the programme and a $30,000 fee for each renewal.

The DHS announced the proposal in a statement issued on Wednesday, saying it would help combat fraud and abuse, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect US workers.

“Optional practical training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labour, or a prize for those who game the system,” a DHS spokesperson said.

“DHS is upskilling OPT to require foreign students to justify their worth to employers. American workers should not have to compete against a program that has been turned into a pipeline for cheap foreign labour.”

Existing federal regulations allow eligible students to participate in OPT if the employment is directly related to their major area of study.

To participate, students must receive a recommendation from their designated school official (DSO) and apply for employment authorisation with US citizenship and immigration services (USCIS).

“DHS believes the proposed fees would encourage schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity when recommending F-1 non-immigrant students for OPT, helping reduce fraud and strengthen program integrity,” the DHS statement said.

The proposed rule is part of President Donald Trump administration’s wider efforts to crack down on immigration and reshape higher education.

Last year, authorities terminated the legal status of thousands of international students, detaining and deporting many of them.

DHS said it would accept public comments on the proposed rule from October 8 to November 9.
(TheCable)