The Trump administration is reportedly considering a proposal that would require international students to pay a $100,000 fee to participate in a programme that allows them to work in the United States after graduating from an American university.
If implemented, the move could significantly reduce the appeal of studying in the US for international students.
According to people familiar with the discussions, the proposed fee could be linked to the Optional Practical Training programme, commonly known as OPT.
OPT allows eligible international graduates to work in the United States for up to three years, depending on their area of study.
Government data reportedly shows that around 419,000 international graduates were working under the programme in 2024.
The proposal would expand President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce legal immigration and could create fresh challenges for universities and employers that depend heavily on international graduates.
Many American colleges rely on foreign students for tuition revenue, while technology and financial companies view graduates from US universities as an important source of skilled talent.
The reported proposal follows an earlier attempt by the administration to introduce a similar $100,000 fee linked to H-1B visas.
That measure faced strong opposition from the technology industry and was blocked by a federal appeals court in Boston last week.
The H-1B proposal was initially expected to apply widely. However, following objections from major technology companies, it was reportedly narrowed to cover only certain foreign professionals directly entering the US on H-1B visas.
The latest proposal shifts the focus to international students who are already studying in the United States.
Many leading technology and financial companies recruit foreign students from American universities, employ them under OPT after graduation and later sponsor them for H-1B visas.
A steep fee on OPT participation could disrupt this hiring route and place a heavy financial burden on international graduates and the companies seeking to employ them.
If introduced, the measure could have a major impact on universities, employers and thousands of foreign students hoping to begin their careers in the United States after graduation.
