US proposes $100k charge for international students to do post-graduate work

A new US Department of Homeland Security proposal would impose charges totalling up to $100,000 on optional practical training (OPT), the programme that lets international graduates work in the United States for up to three years. The rule is framed as requiring institutions to cover the cost, but reporting also describes a structure in which recent graduates would face a $70,000 fee for the first year of OPT and STEM graduates an additional $30,000 for a two‑year extension. DHS says the move is meant to combat fraud and protect US workers; it projects OPT participation could fall by as much as 44% and estimates annual costs to universities between $8.4 billion and $16.5 billion if the rule is finalized. Some 420,000 students - about one‑third of international enrollees - used OPT in 2025-26.

Analyses by economists and a National Academies commission predict severe damage to the STEM talent pipeline: bachelor‑level OPT participation could be halved, master’s‑level participation nearly eliminated, and roughly 70% of international STEM PhD graduates - who rely heavily on OPT - would be affected. Combined with earlier visa fees, the measures could shrink the US STEM workforce by 6-11% over a decade, cost universities an estimated $2.5-4.2 billion in tuition revenue, and prompt top prospects to study and work in competitor countries such as Canada. DHS maintains the change strengthens oversight; researchers and university officials warn it would instead choke off recruitment of global scientific talent.