US proposes a $70000 fee for colleges recommending international students for temporary work programs.
President Donald Trump’s administration is proposing a dramatic overhaul of a popular foreign-student employment program, requiring American colleges and universities to pay as much as $70,000 before recommending an international student for temporary work authorization in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security proposal targets Optional Practical Training, commonly known as OPT, which allows foreign nationals studying on F-1 visas to work temporarily in jobs directly related to their academic studies.
Under the proposed rule, a Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified institution would have to pay a one-time $70,000 fee before making a student’s first OPT recommendation, regardless of whether that employment occurs before or after graduation.