US proposes $70,000 fee for international students seeking OPT work programme

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new rule that would require schools to pay a $70,000 fee for an international student's initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) participation and $30,000 for subsequent OPT applications.

Washington: The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed charging $70,000 for international students seeking initial participation in the Optional Practical Training programme, a sweeping change that could sharply increase the cost of obtaining post-study work experience in the United States.

The proposed rule would also impose a $30,000 fee for any subsequent OPT participation, DHS said Wednesday.

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The fees are proposed and are not currently in effect. DHS will accept public comments from Oct. 8 through Nov. 9 before considering a final rule.

OPT allows eligible international students in F-1 status to obtain temporary employment authorisation for work directly related to their field of study. It is widely used by foreign graduates of US colleges and universities, including students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Under the proposal, the fees would be paid by SEVP-certified schools before their designated school officials recommend students for OPT in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, known as SEVIS.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services would not grant employment authorisation if the school had not paid the required fee, according to DHS.

The fee would not be linked to a particular employer. It would apply when a school recommends an F-1 student for any form of OPT.

DHS said the money collected would be deposited in the US Treasury.

The department said it was proposing the changes to combat fraud and abuse, strengthen immigration-system integrity 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,” the spokesperson said.

DHS said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program had encountered schools, designated school officials, employers and F-1 students involved in schemes exploiting existing regulations, including problematic worksites and what it described as “pay-to-stay” visa schemes.

The department said the proposed fees could encourage schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity before recommending students for OPT.

Under current regulations, eligible F-1 students can seek OPT before completing their academic programme or after graduation, provided the work is directly related to their major field of study.

Students can receive up to 12 months of OPT at each educational level.

Graduates with qualifying degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics can be eligible for an additional 24-month STEM OPT extension, making the programme particularly important to international graduates seeking professional experience in US technology and other high-skilled industries.

To participate, students must receive a recommendation from a designated school official and separately apply to USCIS for employment authorisation.

The proposal comes amid a broader push by the US administration to tighten employment-based immigration programmes, with officials arguing that stronger enforcement is needed to combat fraud and protect domestic workers.

DHS said that after the public-comment period closes, it will review properly submitted comments and supporting materials and could revise the proposal before issuing any final rule.