The Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule on Wednesday that would require U.S. schools to pay a $70,000 fee for each international student applying for optional practical training, the work authorization program that allows foreign graduates to work in the United States after completing their degrees. Schools would also pay a $30,000 fee for each renewal of the authorization.

The change would affect the OPT program, which currently permits students to work for up to one year after graduation, with an additional two-year extension available to certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors. Under the new proposal, institutions would be charged the full fee for every new participant and again for any subsequent renewal.

American colleges and universities have long recruited international students as a source of tuition revenue, and industries such as technology have relied on the program to fill technical positions. Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an organization representing international education, warned that imposing the fee could discourage talented students from studying in the United States. "Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership," she said in a written statement.

DHS described the fee as a measure to address fraud and abuse within the visa program, which it characterized as a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor." The public will have 60 days to submit comments before the department finalizes the rule, though legal challenges from higher education groups or industry associations could delay implementation.

The proposal forms part of a broader effort by the administration to tighten immigration rules and reshape higher education policy. In the previous year, the administration terminated the legal status of thousands of international students, leading to detentions and deportations. Earlier in the summer, a rule limiting the duration of stay for international students to four years was finalized, though a federal court blocked it from taking effect in September.

Doug Rand, a former senior adviser at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, suggested the fee would likely be struck down in court, drawing comparisons to a previously proposed $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. He argued that "when we educate international students at our universities, and they want to work and apply their talents here after graduating, of course we should embrace them -- not use an exorbitant fee as a pretext to send them packing."

Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of the American Council on Education, noted that international enrollment had declined by 17% in the previous fall, the steepest drop since the pandemic. Some institutions reported reductions of 30% to 40% in new international student numbers. She stated that the proposed fee would not address these challenges and could further deter prospective students.

The OPT program has also faced scrutiny through recent guidance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding curricular practical training, which governs internships and practicums. Legal representatives for several universities have indicated that the administration is attempting to restrict legal employment-based immigration through multiple avenues.

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.