The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to participate in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, in a move that could significantly increase the cost of post-study work opportunities for foreign graduates, including Nigerians.
Under the proposed rule, schools would be required to pay $70,000 for each international student’s initial OPT application and $30,000 for every renewal.
The OPT programme currently allows eligible international students to work in the United States in jobs related to their fields of study while completing their education or after graduation.
Foreign students are generally permitted to undertake up to one year of OPT after completing their studies, while graduates in eligible science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields can receive an additional two years under the STEM OPT extension.
The proposed fee, if implemented, could have significant implications for Nigerian students and other international graduates who depend on the programme to gain professional experience and pursue employment opportunities in the United States.
The proposed fee is also expected to generate concern among American universities and businesses that rely on international students and graduates.
US universities attract large numbers of foreign students, including Nigerians, while technology companies and other businesses recruit international graduates for specialised and technical positions.
Fanta Aw, Chief Executive Officer of NAFSA, an association representing international education, said the proposed policy could undermine the contribution of international students to the US economy.
“Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership,” Aw said in a written statement.
The organisation has argued that OPT provides international students with opportunities to gain practical experience while helping employers address labour shortages, particularly in STEM-related sectors.
However, DHS defended the proposed fee, saying it was designed to address what the department considers fraud and abuse within the OPT programme.
The department has described OPT as a “pipeline for cheap foreign labor.”
Trump administration tightens student immigration rules
The proposed OPT charge is part of a broader immigration policy shift under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has increased scrutiny of foreign students and tightened requirements for international immigration.
The administration last year terminated the legal status of thousands of international students, with some subsequently detained or deported.
It also introduced a rule seeking to limit international students’ stay in the US to four years unless they obtained federal approval to remain longer.
READ ALSO: TUC demands naira at ₦700–₦800/$, more funding to end insecurity
Higher education leaders opposed the measure, arguing that it would impose additional administrative burdens on universities and create difficulties for students enrolled in degree programmes that can take more than four years to complete.
A federal court blocked the rule from taking effect in September.
The latest proposal could similarly face legal challenges from higher education organisations and business groups, potentially delaying or preventing its implementation.
Proposed fee faces legal challenge
Doug Rand, a former senior adviser at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, predicted that the proposed OPT fee would face legal challenges.
He compared the measure with the $100,000 fee imposed on H-1B work visas, which are widely used by technology companies and universities to recruit skilled foreign workers.
Rand argued that imposing high fees would not address the underlying issues surrounding skilled foreign labour.
“When we educate international students at our universities, and they want to work and apply their talents here after graduating, of course we should embrace them — not use an exorbitant fee as a pretext to send them packing,” he said in an email.
The proposed rule is not yet final. The public will have 60 days to submit comments before DHS determines whether to adopt the measure.
If finalised, the policy could reshape the cost-benefit calculation for international students considering US universities, while also affecting American institutions and employers that depend on foreign talent.
