The Trump administration is considering a $100,000 fee on international students who wish to remain and work in the United States after graduation, a move that would affect hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals annually.
The charge would apply through the Optional Practical Training program, which currently permits recent graduates to work in the U.S. for one to three years. Roughly 419,000 foreign students worked under OPT in 2024. The proposal remains under discussion at the Department of Homeland Security, which is also drafting broader regulations to overhaul the OPT program that could be published as early as this autumn.
The initiative follows a federal judge's decision last month striking down a similar $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. Separately, the department plans to impose new limits on visa durations for foreign journalists, students, and exchange visitors.