Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
30 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

U.S. Weighs $100,000 Fee for Post‑Study Work Through OPT

DHS says talks remain internal, and the proposal could make post‑graduation work in the U.S. prohibitively costly for many international students.

US President Donald Trump during an announcement on the Freedom Haulers initiative at the White House in Washington, DC.
The proposed fee is currently under consideration at the Department of Homeland Security, the report said, with uncertainty about whether the White House had extended its support to the proposal.
Image
Harvard University students walking through Harvard Square during commencement.

Overview

  • The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security is considering attaching a $100,000 charge to Optional Practical Training, the program that lets F‑1 graduates work in the U.S. for one to three years after finishing their degree.
  • Officials have not finalized the plan and have not said whether students, employers, or universities would pay the fee, and DHS has stressed no policy is final while discussions continue.
  • The proposal follows the administration’s earlier $100,000 H‑1B levy that a federal appeals court in Boston recently blocked, increasing the likelihood of legal challenges if the OPT charge moves forward.
  • About 419,000 international graduates were on OPT in 2024 and large numbers come from India, so universities that rely on international tuition and U.S. tech and finance recruiters that hire from campus pipelines could see recruitment and revenue fall.
  • Beyond the fee, the administration has finalized rule changes replacing duration of status with fixed student stays and plans a broader OPT rewrite this fall, so colleges, students and employers should expect more regulatory and legal developments.