The administration of President Donald Trump has opened a new front in its tightening of US immigration policy, proposing a $70,000 fee for the initial participation of international students in the country’s Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme—a move that could reshape the economics of studying in the United States and make post-graduation work opportunities significantly harder to access.
Under a proposed rule released by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified institutions would be required to pay $70,000 when they first recommend an F-1 international student for OPT. A further $30,000 would be payable for each subsequent OPT recommendation for the same student.
The proposal is not yet law. DHS must first receive and consider public comments before deciding whether to issue a final rule. Immigration specialists say legal challenges are also likely if the proposal is adopted.
Why the proposal matters
OPT has long been one of the major attractions for foreign students considering American universities.
The programme allows eligible F-1 students to obtain temporary work experience in jobs directly related to their academic fields. Most eligible graduates can work for up to 12 months, while those who qualify under the STEM category—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—can obtain an additional 24 months, bringing the potential period to three years.
For thousands of students, the arrangement provides a bridge between university education and professional employment in the United States.
It is also an important pathway into the US labour market for highly skilled graduates, particularly those seeking positions in technology, engineering, scientific research, finance and other specialised sectors.
The proposed fee therefore goes beyond a routine immigration charge. If implemented as drafted, it would place a potentially enormous financial burden on universities at the precise point when they are expected to recommend international graduates for employment.
A dramatic increase in cost
The scale of the proposed charge is particularly striking when compared with existing costs.
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The current OPT process involves an application fee of roughly $470 to $520, depending on the applicable filing circumstances, according to immigration specialists. Under the DHS proposal, however, the school itself would face a $70,000 charge before making the recommendation for a student’s initial OPT.
The subsequent $30,000 charge means that an institution could potentially face up to $100,000 in government fees for one student if the student receives an initial OPT recommendation and a later extension or additional recommendation.
Although the proposed obligation formally falls on the educational institution, the financial consequences could extend beyond university budgets.
Immigration law firm Fragomen said schools would be permitted to recoup the cost from the student or employer, meaning the proposal could ultimately translate into higher costs for international graduates, employers or both.
Why DHS says it wants the change
DHS has presented the proposal as an immigration-enforcement and programme-integrity measure rather than simply a revenue-raising exercise.
According to the agency’s proposed rule, the fees are intended to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, protect US workers and offset the resources DHS says are required to investigate OPT-related issues.
The department has also characterised OPT as having been used as a channel for what it considers inexpensive foreign labour, a position that places the programme squarely within the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten controls over foreign workers and visa holders.
But critics argue that the economic consequences could be considerably wider than the administration anticipates.
The Nigerian student question
For Nigerian students and families investing heavily in US education, the proposal introduces another layer of uncertainty.
A Nigerian student may spend several years paying international tuition, accommodation, insurance and other living expenses with the expectation that OPT will provide an opportunity to gain professional experience after graduation.
If universities become reluctant to recommend international graduates because of a $70,000 institutional charge, students could find that completing a degree in the United States no longer guarantees access to the post-study employment opportunity that helped justify the investment.
The proposal could therefore influence decisions made before students even leave Nigeria.
Prospective students and their families may increasingly compare the United States with other destinations where post-study work opportunities carry lower institutional or immigration costs.
That could have consequences for American universities, many of which depend heavily on international enrolment and the tuition revenue generated by foreign students.
Universities caught in the middle
The financial implications are potentially significant for American higher education.
International students contribute substantial tuition revenue to US colleges and universities, while OPT has become an important component of the value proposition offered to foreign applicants.
The American Council on Education has already warned that international enrollment is under pressure. According to AP, the number of new international students entering the US fell 17% last fall, the sharpest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, while some institutions have reported even larger decreases.
That means the new proposal is arriving at a particularly sensitive moment.
If universities have to absorb tens of thousands of dollars per international graduate seeking OPT, institutions could be forced to reconsider how they recruit, admit and financially support foreign students.
The proposed OPT fee follows other controversial immigration measures, including efforts to increase the cost of employment-based visa routes. Some previous initiatives have faced court challenges or been blocked, raising questions about whether the new OPT proposal will survive legal scrutiny.
The administration, however, appears determined to make the financial and regulatory environment surrounding foreign workers considerably more restrictive.
For now, international students should not treat the $70,000 charge as an existing requirement.
The proposal must go through the federal rule-making process before it can become effective. DHS has opened the proposal to public comment, after which the department can modify, withdraw or finalise the rule. Legal challenges could further delay implementation.
But even before a final decision is reached, the proposal sends a powerful signal to international students, universities and employers.
For Nigerian students contemplating American universities, the calculation is no longer simply about tuition fees and academic reputation. The availability and cost of the post-study work route could become an equally important factor in deciding whether the United States remains an attractive destination.
And for American universities and technology companies, the central question is whether imposing a potential $70,000 entry price on OPT—and $30,000 for subsequent recommendations—will protect the US labour market or instead drive some of the world’s highly educated international talent towards competing countries.