DHS Proposes $70,000 OPT Training Fee for International Graduates
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed charging international graduates at least $70,000 in training fees to work in the United States under Optional Practical Training (OPT), Reuters reported. Under the plan, a certified school would have to pay the fee before recommending an F-1 student for OPT, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services could not approve the work permit until the fee is paid. Any additional work training, including the 24-month STEM extension, would cost another $30,000.
Today, students pay only about $500 to apply for work authorization (the I-765 filing fee is $470 online). DHS said the rule is meant "to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect U.S. workers," calling the current OPT program a "back door" into the U.S. workforce and saying foreign students should have to "justify their worth to employers."
OPT lets F-1 students work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session and for 12 months after graduation in a job related to their degree; STEM graduates may extend for 24 more months. For many international graduates, particularly in science and engineering from China and India, OPT is the bridge to an H-1B work visa.
The proposal is now in a 30-day public comment period and is not yet in effect. Like similar DHS proposals, it is widely expected to face swift legal challenges. In August, DHS proposed a $103,265 fee on H-1B petitions, weeks after an earlier six-figure H-1B charge was blocked by a federal court.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Graduation photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
