US may impose $100,000 fee for foreign students wanting to work after graduation: Report

WASHINGTON: The Donald Trump administration is weighing a plan that may oblige foreign university graduates to pay $1,00,000 to obtain post-graduation employment in the US, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The reported plan has triggered strong backlash across online platforms, with critics describing it as a “stupid idea” while raising concerns over its consequences for global talent retention.

As per sources quoted in the publication, the contemplated charge is linked to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) scheme. The mechanism permits eligible foreign scholars to work in the US for up to three years following the completion of their degree courses, contingent upon their discipline. The executive branch has not issued an official announcement regarding the plan.

Official data cited by The Wall Street Journal indicates that approximately 4,19,000 international graduates were working via the OPT pathway in 2024. The scheme serves as a crucial talent recruitment conduit for US corporations, particularly across the technology and financial sectors. Leading enterprise employers frequently recruit international scholars from American academic institutions through OPT prior to securing H-1B employment visas for qualifying personnel.

It’s hard to overstate what a disaster this would be for the U.S.’s AI race against China. In the words of the ever-quotable @naval regarding AI, “it’s our Chinese versus their Chinese.” pic.twitter.com/NEITKknEAW

— Luther Lowe (@lutherlowe) July 30, 2026

Higher education institutions could similarly face adverse financial consequences, given that overseas scholars account for a substantial share of total tuition revenues. The reported deliberation over OPT charges follows closely behind legal setbacks encountered by the Trump administration over a separate immigration initiative concerning H-1B visas.

The administration previously sought to enforce a $1,00,000 levy on certain H-1B applicants. However, enforcement of the measure was blocked last week by a federal appeals court in Boston, according to reports.

That measure drew intense pushback from technology entities, which contended that escalating regulatory expenses would jeopardise access to foreign skilled labour. Consequently, executive officials scaled back the coverage of the H-1B fee framework to apply exclusively to specific foreign specialists entering the US directly under H-1B classification.

In contrast, the prospective OPT regulation would directly impact international scholars already matriculated at US universities. (ANI)