New Delhi: The US has proposed a USD 70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the country, after completing their studies there. The proposal
to impose the fee was forwarded by the US Department of Homeland Security. This move can have a major impact on Indian students seeking to work in the US after having completed their studies.
The proposal of the Department of Homeland Security said that educational institutions should pay USD 70,000 as a fee for any Optional Practical Training (OPT), the student participates in for the first time. This seems to be the latest effort from the Trump administration to crack down on enrollment of foreign students in the country’s colleges and Universities.
The proposal further said that for any subsequent renewal, the institution will have to pay an additional USD 30,000. OPT allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. The students are generally allowed to work for 1 year post their graduation. While certain majors like science, technology, engineering and math are eligible for an additional 2 years.
Change would be a blow for higher education and businesses
American colleges and Universities depend on overseas students for tuition revenues. Tech companies and other industries in the country also hire these students for several roles, while they are still in college or even post they complete the program.
OPT thus works 2 ways. It allows students to get hands-on training, while allowing to manage shortages of labour in STEM fields, newshour quoted Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA as saying.
A statement quoted by the news website made by Aw read, “Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership.”
Meanwhile, the Homeland Security Department described the fee as a response to fraud and abuse of the visa program, which it called a “pipeline for cheap foreign labor.”
The public can comment on the proposal in the next 60 days, after which the DHS will finalise it and put it into effect. However, the proposal might face legal challenges from higher educational institutions or businesses, which might lead to delays in its implementation.
