US proposes $100,000 fee for OPT program

The Trump administration is considering a $100,000 fee on foreign students under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows graduates to work in the US for one to three years.

The fee could affect over 360,000 Indian students and 419,000 foreign students who worked under OPT in 2024.

It follows a federal court's rejection of a similar $100,000 fee on H-1B visas in June, which was struck down by a federal judge in Boston.

If enacted, the fee could impact top IT and finance firms that hire foreign graduates from American universities and convert their status from student to H-1B visas.

The fee is seen as a way to pursue the administration's goal of curbing legal migration, but it is unclear whether students or employers would pay it.