{
  "id": 12845527,
  "title": "Trump Administration Proposes $70K Fee for International Students to Work in U.S.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/trump-administration-proposes-70k-fee-for-international-students-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/international-student-training-opt-fee-work-trump-administration/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 24, 2026, students walked through the University of Texas campus (The Austin American-Statesman/Getty Images). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule that would charge schools $70,000 per international student seeking to work in the U.S. through Optional Practical Training (OPT), marking the Trump Administration's latest attempt to curb foreign enrollment (SOURCE). This proposal, published on Thursday in the Federal Register and open for comment until November 9, aims to address concerns over OPT—a temporary employment authorization that allows students to work in jobs related to their field of study (SOURCE). Critics argue that OPT has \"ballooned into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline\" and become a \"magnet for fraud\" (SOURCE). Under the current system, students pay about $500 to apply and can work in the U.S. for up to a year during or after their studies, with STEM students potentially extending their work period (SOURCE). The proposed fee would require schools to pay $70,000 for a student's initial participation and another $30,000 for each additional participation, though the department acknowledges schools may pass the financial obligation to students or employers (SOURCE). DHS claims the program's growth \"has exponentially outpaced the number of companies\" it could review and investigate, leading to allegations of fraudulent activities such as \"phantom employees\" and suspicious financial transactions (SOURCE). The department stated that without these fees, it cannot operate OPT in a manner consistent with its focus on preventing fraud and might even shut down the program entirely (SOURCE). International students have been targeted by the second Trump Administration as part of a broader anti-immigration agenda, including revoking thousands of student visas and tightening vetting procedures (SOURCE). The Administration has pressured universities to agree to a compact that caps the number of undergraduate students on foreign visas and has attempted to limit international students' stays to four years (SOURCE). While the Administration justifies these policies as beneficial to Americans, experts warn that such measures could harm U.S. competitiveness in the long run (SOURCE). The proposed fee has faced criticism, with educational organizations challenging its legality in court, and some experts arguing that it could deter top talent from pursuing education and work in the U.S. (SOURCE).",
  "summary": "The proposal aims to crack down on the Optional Practical Training program, which DHS claims is a “magnet for fraud.”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}