The Department of Homeland Security proposed new fees for Optional Practical Training, a program allowing foreign students to work in the United States after completing their studies.
Under the proposal, schools would pay $70,000 for each student seeking initial OPT and $30,000 for any subsequent OPT, according to DHS. Schools must pay the fees before recommending students for the program, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not grant work authorization to students if fees have not been paid.
Currently, eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students can engage in OPT for up to 12 months at each education level, and those earning degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields may receive an additional 24-month extension, DHS said.
The proposal aims to address fraud and abuse in the program. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program has identified cases in which schools, officials, employers and students allegedly engaged in schemes to exploit current regulations, including "pay-to-stay" visa schemes and problematic worksites, according to DHS.
"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 will accept public comments on the proposed rule from October 8 through November 9.