5 hrs ago
DHS Proposes Fees Up to $100,000 for Student OPT
OPT is a program that lets some international students work in jobs related to what they studied.
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new fee for schools that recommend students for this work.
The first recommendation would cost the school $70,000, and later recommendations would cost $30,000 each.
Students and employers would not pay this fee directly.
DHS says the fees could help schools check applications more carefully and reduce fraud.
It also says the change could help protect American workers.
The proposal has not become a rule, and people can comment on it before DHS makes a final decision.
If a final rule is published, it would start 60 days later.
DHS proposed a $70,000 fee for a student's first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation, including a STEM OPT extension.
The SEVP-certified school—not the student or employer—would pay the fee before recommending the student in SEVIS.
OPT lets eligible F-1 students work in jobs related to their field of study, generally for up to 12 months per education level, with eligible STEM graduates able to seek a further 24-month extension.
DHS cited alleged fraud, growth in OPT participation, and concerns about effects on American workers as reasons for the proposal.
The proposal is not in effect; DHS is seeking public comments, and any final rule would take effect 60 days after publication.
- Who
- The US Department of Homeland Security proposed the fee; SEVP-certified schools would pay it for eligible F-1 students.
- What
- A proposed $70,000 fee for a first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for subsequent recommendations.
- Where
- United States.
- When
- Published by DHS on a Wednesday; scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on October 8. The fee is not in effect and would take effect 60 days after publication of a final rule.
- Why
- DHS says the fee would help reduce fraud, encourage closer review of OPT recommendations, protect American workers, and address concerns about OPT being used to avoid H-1B visa limits.
Key facts
- First OPT recommendation
- $70,000, paid by the SEVP-certified educational institution
- Subsequent OPT recommendation
- $30,000, including for a STEM OPT extension
- Student payment
- The proposed fee would be paid by the school, not directly by the student or employer
- Standard OPT duration
- Generally up to 12 months at each education level
- Eligible STEM extension
- An additional 24 months, potentially allowing up to 36 months of work
- OPT participation in 2024
- DHS records list 194,554 F-1 students in OPT and 95,384 STEM OPT participants
- Estimated annual revenue
- DHS estimates $8.4 billion to $16.5 billion, with a primary estimate of $12.4 billion
- Proposed implementation
- The rule would take effect 60 days after publication of a final rule; DHS is seeking public comments
Quotes
DHS spokesperson
Spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security
“DHS is upskilling OPT to require foreign students to justify their worth to employers. American workers should not have to compete against a program that has been turned into a pipeline for cheap foreign labor.”
financialexpress.com
“Optional Practical Training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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