Trump weighs US$100,000 fee for foreign students to work in US after graduation

The Trump administration is weighing a plan to charge international students US$100,000 to stay in the country and work after graduating, according to a person familiar with the matter, in a potentially devastating move for student visa holders already squeezed by recent immigration crackdowns.

The person familiar spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. A White House official said there was no imminent policy change, but did not deny the proposal was under consideration.

If implemented, the fee would put a popular postgraduate visa extension out of reach for many students.

The extension, called Optional Practical Training, is a core aspect of the international student pipeline in the US that allows student visa holders to extend their stays to gain relevant work experience.

Administration officials have targeted OPT in particular, saying it enables visa fraud and overstays.

There were almost 300,000 international students on OPT as of last fall, according to the Institute of International Education – roughly a quarter of the foreign student population in the US.