The US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed imposing a fee of 70,000 US dollars on educational institutions for each new international student seeking to enrol in a programme allowing them to work in the United States, as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to tighten rules governing foreign students’ education and employment.
Under the proposal, educational institutions would pay the fee for each new student’s initial application to the Optional Practical Training programme, along with 30,000 US dollars for each renewal. The programme allows international students to work in jobs related to their academic fields during their studies or after graduation.
Students are generally entitled to work for one year after graduation through the programme, while graduates in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields can obtain an additional two-year extension, making the programme a major route to gaining professional experience in the United States.
Universities and companies rely on international students
US colleges and universities rely heavily on attracting students from abroad, who represent an important source of tuition revenue. Technology companies and other economic sectors, meanwhile, employ large numbers of international students in technical jobs requiring specialised skills.
Fanta Aw, chief executive of NAFSA, an association concerned with international education, said the Optional Practical Training programme gives foreign students an opportunity to gain practical experience and helps fill labour shortages in vital sectors related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Aw added in a written statement: “Expelling talent and thwarting the ambitious pursuits of international students will only harm American innovation, economic growth, workforce development and global leadership.” The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, said the proposed fees were intended to reduce fraud and misuse of the visa programme.
The department described the programme as “a channel for bringing in low-cost foreign labour”. The proposal is subject to a 60-day period during which the public can submit its views and comments before the department approves and implements it. The plan could face legal challenges from higher education associations or business groups, which could delay its implementation.
Broader tightening of immigration and higher education measures
The proposal comes amid a broader tightening of immigration measures and restructuring of the higher education sector. Last year, the Republican administration abruptly began revoking the legal status of thousands of international students, while detaining some and deporting others.
During the summer, the administration approved new rules aimed at preventing foreign students from remaining in the United States for more than four years without first obtaining permission from the federal government. The rules prompted swift and angry reactions from higher education leaders.
Higher education officials said the new restrictions doubled the burdens on educational institutions, noting that the nature of many academic programmes requires students to remain enrolled for more than four years. Last September, a federal court issued a ruling halting implementation of the restrictions. Doug Rand, a former executive adviser at US Citizenship and Immigration Services during President Joe Biden’s administration, predicted that the courts would strike down the new fee.
Rand compared the proposal with a previous fee of 100,000 US dollars on work visas used by technology companies and universities to fill vacant skilled positions. The Trump administration is currently pursuing another approach to raising those work visa fees to more than 100,000 US dollars, as signs emerge that international students are becoming less interested in studying in the United States.
International student interest in the United States declines
Sarah Spreitzer, vice-president of the American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents, said international student interest had fallen significantly. Last autumn, the number of new students arriving in the United States for the first time fell by 17 per cent, the sharpest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spreitzer explained that although overall statistics for the current autumn have not yet been released, some colleges were individually recording declines of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent. She said the Trump administration’s new plan would not help address the decline.
We all know that the Optional Practical Training programme is one of the main reasons international students choose to study in the United States, given the opportunity it provides them to gain practical experience after graduation
