U.S. to Charge $70,000 per International Student Seeking Work; $30,000 for OPT Extensions

Universities to be charged $70,000 per student
Additional $30,000 for OPT extensions
Universities and tech industry push back: "Will drive talent away"

As the number of international students in the United States rapidly declines, the Trump Administration has decided to make it harder for them to find work after graduation. It plans to charge universities fees of up to nearly 100 million won for each international student seeking employment in the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump leaving the White House on the 7th (local time). EPA-Yonhap News

On the 7th (local time), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule requiring schools to pay $70,000 (about 93.8 million won) for each international student newly participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT). If a student extends their OPT, the school would have to pay an additional $30,000 (about 40 million won) for that student.

The move is being viewed as an attempt to effectively restrict OPT, which has served as a pathway to employment for international students after graduation. OPT allows foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities to work for a set period in a field related to their major. Students in general fields can work for one year after graduation, while those with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can work for up to three years.

Announcing the measure, DHS said OPT was "being abused as a channel for cheap foreign labor" and that the measure was intended to prevent fraud and abuse of the visa system.

Universities and companies are pushing back against the Trump Administration's measure, the Associated Press and other outlets reported. U.S. universities actively recruit international students to generate tuition revenue, while technology companies have relied on OPT to secure workers in STEM fields. Fanta Aw, CEO of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), said, "Driving the talent and perspectives of international students out of the United States will harm innovation, economic growth, and workforce development."

The Trump Administration has been tightening restrictions on international students one after another. Last year, it revoked the legal status of thousands of international students and detained and deported some of them. This summer, it proposed a rule barring international students from staying in the United States for more than four years without federal government approval, but a federal court blocked its implementation last month.

The proposed rule is also likely to face legal challenges. Doug Rand, who served as a senior adviser at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the previous Biden Administration, pointed to the court's blocking of an earlier measure to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B work visas and said the OPT fee could likewise be invalidated.

Concerns are also growing at U.S. universities about the decline in international students. The number of new international students who first entered the United States in fall 2025 fell 17% from the previous year, marking the steepest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some universities have reported that their international student numbers are down 30-40% this fall. Education sector officials are concerned that the decline could accelerate if the fees take effect, since OPT is one of the main reasons students choose to study in the United States.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.