The Trump administration has put forward a proposal to charge international students a $70,000 fee if they wish to work in the United States under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, according to a report by Punch Nigeria.
OPT is a U.S. immigration provision that permits foreign students holding F‑1 visas to obtain temporary employment related to their field of study after completing their academic programmes. The work authorization typically lasts up to 12 months, or up to 36 months for graduates in designated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The proposed fee of $70,000 would apply specifically to those seeking to use the OPT pathway to gain employment in the United States. The administration has not released further details on how the fee would be collected or what the revenue would fund.
While the proposal has been reported, no official statement from the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Education has been released to confirm implementation timelines or any accompanying regulatory changes.
The suggestion forms part of a broader set of immigration policy considerations being discussed by the current U.S. administration, which has previously sought to tighten rules affecting foreign nationals studying and working in the country.
<small>Source: Punch Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>