Indian students and recent graduates in the United States reacted with shock and concern over their prospects amid reports that the Trump administration is planning to impose a $100,000 fee on foreign students who plan to work in America after graduating. For the roughly 360,000 Indian students in the country, the proposed fee, potentially linked to Optional Practical Training (OPT), could significantly impair their ability to remain in the United States.
“As a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, I am only lucky that my new employer is banking on the 100k H-1B fee not going through and being enacted into law. Now, on top of this, an OPT fee diminishes future opportunities for post-study employment altogether, even if the opportunity lets me apply skills learned through my degree. Why would any firm take a bet on a perfectly capable and educated non-citizen with a U.S. degree? America is still home to some of the greatest institutions for a liberal arts or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. But many Indians will begin to see the risk equation as too costly, which is a valid argument,” said an Indian student who recently graduated from a US university, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The OPT program allows foreign students to work in the United States after graduation for 12 months and can be extended to three years for STEM programs. For many Indian students, the OPT program has been a pathway to gaining valuable work experience and even the chance to stay in the United States on longer work visas such as the H-1B.
Students said the proposed $100,000 fee reported by the Wall Street Journal could significantly impact interest in studying in America.
“If this policy comes through, it would definitely be to my detriment because I would want to be a skilled worker in the US at least for a little while. I would like to get the experience that a lot of other deserving candidates get right. I know a lot of Indian students who come to the US to essentially gain work experience even if they don’t plan on staying forever. I think this policy will definitely put a stop to a lot of students who flock to the US in droves… This would also be a big blow for undergraduates and possibly mark the end of any sort of graduate program like MBAs,” said another Indian student pursuing a PhD in the United States.
The proposal to place a fee on the OPT program comes even as the Trump administration has tightened student visa rules. Earlier this month, the US government announced it would end “duration of status” for foreign students, which allowed them to stay in the United States legally so long as they maintain their non-immigrant student status.
Students – including those already present in the US – will now be admitted to the United States strictly for the length of their educational program for a maximum period of four years.