The Trump administration has proposed a $70,000 fee on Optional Practical Training, the program that allows international students to work in the United States in jobs related to their field of study.
Under the rule put forward by the Department of Homeland Security, schools would pay $70,000 for a student's first OPT authorization and $30,000 for each renewal. Students are generally eligible for one year of work after graduation. Graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math can qualify for two additional years, which would bring the total charge to $100,000 over a full STEM period.
The fee would be billed to the school, not the student. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not approve the work authorization unless the payment is made. DHS says schools could recover the cost from the student, the employer, or another source.
The proposal applies to international students on OPT generally. It does not single out Nigerians or any other nationality. India was the largest source of international students in the United States in 2024–25, with about 363,000 enrolled, and roughly 419,000 foreign graduates were working through OPT in 2024, according to the latest available data.
DHS described the fee as a response to fraud and abuse, and called OPT a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor." A department spokesperson called the program a "back door" into the workforce, saying the rule aims to make it easier for American citizens to compete for jobs. The administration's position is that the student-visa system has been turned into a labor program that lets universities and major employers keep foreign graduates working in the United States for years after graduation.
Universities and employers warn the charge could reduce international enrollment and narrow a hiring pipeline used heavily in technical fields. Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, the association representing international education, said in a written statement: "Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership."
Right now, OPT applicants pay only the standard employment authorization filing fee of $470, or $410 online. Earlier reports had suggested the administration was weighing a charge as high as $100,000. The proposal arrives alongside a parallel DHS move to add a $103,265 fee on H-1B cap-subject petitions, published in August. Taken together, the message is unmistakable: legal work routes for foreign graduates are getting dramatically more expensive.
The rule is not in effect. It is open for public comment, and DHS must respond to those comments before it can be finalized. It could also face legal challenges.