US Proposes $70,000 Fee Tied to International Students' Work Training

The US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday put forward a proposal for a $70,000 fee (about €62,600) linked to international students working in the country. The charge would be paid by educational institutions.

How it would work

The fee would apply to the optional practical training program, which lets foreign students work in jobs related to their field during or after their studies. Students are normally allowed to work for one year after graduating, while graduates in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields may work for two more years.

Institutions would pay $70,000 for each new student's initial application to the program and $30,000 for each renewal.

Possible impact

The change could be a heavy blow to colleges and universities that actively recruit students from abroad as a source of tuition revenue. It would also affect technology companies and other industries that employ many international students in technical roles.

Fanta Aw, executive director of the international education association NAFSA, said the program helps students gain practical experience and fill vacancies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She said discouraging international students' talent, ambitions and aspirations would only harm US innovation, economic growth, workforce development and global leadership.

The department described the fee as a response to fraud and abuse of the visa program.

What happens next

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal before the department can approve and implement it. It could, however, face obstacles if higher education organizations or business groups challenge it in court.

The Trump administration is seeking to curb immigration and reshape higher education, which has affected international students. Last year it abruptly began revoking the legal status of thousands of foreign students, detaining and deporting many of them. This summer it finalized rules meant to prevent international students from staying in the US longer than four years without federal government permission, but a federal court blocked those rules in September.