$70K per international student: US seeks to charge fee for work after graduation
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed that international students pay at least US$70,000 in training fees if they want to work in the country, a move that is set to affect tens of thousands of Chinese and Indian students.
A proposal by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeks to charge international students with F-1 visas $70,000 for on-the-job training during Optional Practical Training (OPT) and $30,000 for additional work training, according to Reuters. The aim of the new rules is to curb fraud, maintain the integrity of the immigration system, and safeguard U.S. workers. The plan is part of President Donald Trump's administration's broader crackdown on foreign visa holders.
The H-1B program has traditionally allowed skilled workers from countries like India and China, who have studied in U.S. universities, to transition into high-paying jobs. However, Trump's campaign in 2024 promised to make it easier for foreign students to stay in the U.S., suggesting a path to permanent residency through a Green Card upon graduation.
The DHS, in support of the proposal, cited a 2020 visa fraud case involving over 2,693 individuals, primarily Chinese F-1 students seeking OPT. One of the students implicated in the case was later convicted of working as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government.
Nearly 62,000 Chinese students took part in OPT during the 2024-2025 academic year, as reported by the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report. The program allows eligible F-1 visa holders to work in positions directly related to their field of study. Critics, including NAFSA: Association of International Educators, argue that the proposal would create uncertainty for international students and weaken the U.S. economy.
Aw, NAFSA's executive director, emphasized that international students don't take jobs from Americans; instead, they create them.
Michael Clemens, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University and a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, argues that the government lacks evidence to support its claim that this policy will protect American workers. He contends that highly skilled foreign workers, trained in the U.S., enhance productivity, benefiting American workers across various sectors and skill levels.
Clemens warned that the proposed charges would severely limit access to the main pathway for international graduates to remain and work in the U.S., potentially stifling innovation and entrepreneurship.
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