DHS proposes $70,000 fee for international student work program
publishers 37articles 42first reported 7 Oct, 14:45 UTCdeveloping since 7 Oct · 9 editions
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed requiring schools to pay a $70,000 fee for each international student they recommend for initial participation in Optional Practical Training, a program that allows F-1 visa holders to work in fields related to their studies. Subsequent participation would carry a $30,000 fee.
The fees would apply before a school recommends a student for OPT and before the student seeks employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Current student application costs are about $500. International students are generally eligible for one year of post-graduation work, while graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can qualify for an additional two years.
DHS said the proposal is intended to combat fraud, improve oversight and protect U.S. workers. The department described OPT as having become a “pipeline for cheap foreign labor” and said higher fees would encourage schools to be more selective when recommending students.
International-education advocates criticized the plan. Fanta Aw, chief executive of NAFSA, said restricting international students would harm U.S. innovation, economic growth and workforce development. Doug Rand, a former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adviser, predicted that the proposal would face legal challenges.
The rule must undergo a public-comment period before DHS can finalize it. If adopted, its implementation would be delayed to give schools, students and employers time to prepare.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 37
- Source articles
- 42
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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