DHS floats $70K fee for international student work program

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced a proposal to charge $70,000 per student for the Optional Practical Training program, marking the latest effort by the Trump administration to crack down on foreign labor.

The plan would also require a $30,000 for extensions, Politico reported. OPT, like the H-1B visa, has become a focal point for criticism from immigration hawks over fraud concerns and allegations that businesses use it to undercut wages.

“Optional Practical Training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system,” a DHS spokesperson said. “DHS is upskilling OPT to require foreign students to justify their worth to employers. American workers should not have to compete against a program that has been turned into a pipeline for cheap foreign labor.”

OPT currently costs only $500 per application. The Trump administration previously imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B applications in a move that has prompted extended litigation. 

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.