{
  "id": 12689719,
  "title": "Trump administration plans to charge international students $70,000 for work authorization",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/trump-administration-plans-to-charge-international-students-70-000-12689719",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T19:08:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-07-trump-administration-plans-to-charge-international-students-70000-for-work-authorization/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Washington, Oct 6 - The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a plan to charge international students attending US universities at least $70,000 for work authorization, according to a government notice disclosed on Wednesday. This is part of the Trump administration's broader initiative to tighten control over foreign visa holders.\n\nUnder the proposed rules, F-1 visa holders, who are nonimmigrant students, would be required to pay $70,000 to a certified institution for on-the-job training, also known as Optional Practical Training (OPT). Additionally, they would need to pay $30,000 for any further work-related training.\n\nDHS claims these new regulations are intended to curb fraud, enhance the integrity of the immigration system, and safeguard US workers. The OPT program allows foreign students to engage in work training for up to 20 hours per week during the academic term, and for a limited period following graduation, with an extra allowance for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Currently, students are expected to pay around $500 for these programs.\n\nThe department is setting the fee to ensure that employers, students, and institutions are conducting appropriate activities that align with their F-1 nonimmigrant admission status. Such training programs frequently act as a stepping stone for students seeking work under H-1B visas, which the Trump administration has also targeted with higher fees. The H-1B program has historically enabled young engineers and scientists, primarily from India and China, to leverage their US university education into lucrative jobs and a potential route to permanent residency in the United States. Large US tech companies have heavily relied on these skilled workers for their workforce.\n\nDuring his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump had pledged to make it simpler for foreign students to remain in the country, suggesting they should automatically be granted a Green Card upon graduation. Similar DHS proposals have faced swift legal challenges; the $100,000 H-1B fee and other restrictionist policies have already been overturned by courts.\n\nThe rule change is open to public comment for 30 days before it can be finalized. DHS intends to wait 60 days after finalizing the rule before implementing it, giving schools, students, and employers sufficient time to prepare.",
  "summary": "The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed a fee of at least $70,000 for international students seeking to work in the country. According to the Daily Maverick, this fee is part of the Trump administration's wider crackdown on foreign visa holders. The proposed fee would be required for schools to pay for every international student participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.\n\nThe OPT programme allows international students to work in jobs related to their fields of study during or after their education in the US. International students are generally eligible for up to one year of employment after graduation, while those in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields can qualify for an additional two years, as reported by Punch and Punch Nigeria.\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security described the fee as a response to fraud and abuse of the visa programme, which it called a “pipeline for cheap foreign labour.” The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal before DHS can finalize it and put it into effect, according to Punch and Punch Nigeria.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Trump administration proposes huge OPT fee hike from $500 to $70,000 for F-1 students seeking to work in US",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/trump-administration-proposes-huge-opt-fee-hike-from-500-to-70-000",
        "published": "2026-10-07T16:49:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Trump administration plans to charge international students $70,000 for work authorization",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/trump-administration-plans-to-charge-international-students-70-000",
        "published": "2026-10-07T18:19:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}