The Trump administration is discussing a $100,000 fee for international students participating in the Optional Practical Training program. Approximately 419,000 foreign graduates held OPT status in 2024. A federal judge previously struck down a similar fee for H-1B visas in a nationwide ruling.
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“Seeking job in US? Trump weighs $100,000 work permit fee from foreign graduates”
Read at Times of India →The fee adds an exclusionary barrier that targets talent from Asia, Latin America, and Africa and undermines university competitiveness.
“Immigration policy as restriction on global talent and diversity.”
The fee prioritizes American graduates by raising employer costs for foreign hires in STEM fields where OPT displaces citizens.
“Immigration policy should serve American workers first.”
The fee imposes a regulatory barrier that restricts voluntary employment contracts between graduates and employers.
“Administrative power over individual economic agency.”
All three views accept unverified policy assumptions and overlook the proposal's tentative status plus missing empirical data on labor-market effects.
“Over-reliance on low-quality sourcing and unexamined administrative-law barriers.”
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