From the HERE City National Desk
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed steep new fees for international students who want to work in the United States in their field of study through the Optional Practical Training program.
The proposed rule would set a $70,000 fee for each F-1 student for initial OPT and a $30,000 fee for each student for any later OPT period. Under the proposal, SEVP-certified schools must pay the fee before their designated school officials recommend a student for OPT, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not grant work authorization if the school has not paid. The money would go to the U.S. Treasury.
The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Oct. 8 and will be open for public comment before any final version takes effect.
OPT lets eligible F-1 students work in jobs directly related to their major, for up to 12 months at each education level. Students who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics may qualify for an additional 24-month extension. The current cost to participate is around $500.
DHS said the fees are meant to combat fraud and abuse and reduce the flow of cheap labor into the country. The department said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program has found schools, school officials, employers and students using schemes to exploit current rules, including problematic worksites and pay-to-stay visa schemes. A DHS spokesperson said OPT was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce.
The proposal is expected to be challenged. Doug Rand, director of the Talent Mobility Fund, which advocates for attracting foreign STEM talent, said on LinkedIn that DHS has no authority to impose the fee and predicted it would not fare well in court.
