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The U.S. government proposed a $70,000 fee on Wednesday for international students seeking to work in the country, the latest in its efforts to tighten measures against foreign enrollment.
The Department of Homeland Security proposal would require schools to pay the fee for each student participating in the Optional Practical Training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their studies. Generally, students are eligible for one year of work after graduating, although certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors are eligible for an additional two years.
Each university would have to pay $70,000 for the initial application for each new student in the program, and another $30,000 for each renewal under the initiative.
The change would represent a blow to U.S. universities that heavily recruit students from abroad as a source of tuition revenue, as well as to technology companies and other industries that hire many international students for technical positions.
WHAT IS THE OPT PROGRAM FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS?
The OPT program allows international students to gain practical experience and fill labor shortages in high-demand STEM fields, noted Fanta Aw, executive director of NAFSA, an association that represents international education.
"Driving away the talent, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership," Aw stated in a release.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security described the fee as a response to fraud and abuse of the visa program, which it characterized as a "pathway for cheap foreign labor."
The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal before the department can finalize it and put it into effect. The proposal could also face legal challenges from higher education groups or business associations, which could delay it.
President Donald Trump's administration has been pressuring international students in many ways as part of its broader efforts to tighten immigration measures and reshape higher education.
Last year, the Republican administration began abruptly canceling the legal status of thousands of international students, detaining and deporting many of them.
This summer, the administration finalized a rule that sought to prevent international students from remaining in the United States for more than four years without federal government approval. The measure sparked a swift backlash from higher education leaders, who said it would increase the burden on schools and noted that many programs, by design, last longer than four years. A federal court blocked the rule from taking effect in September.
[Publicidad]