The Trump administration is considering a proposal to charge international students $100,000 to work in the U.S. after graduating from American universities, according to people familiar with the matter cited in a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday.
The proposal is still under discussion and has not been finalized, according to the report.
The proposed fee would apply to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows international graduates to work in the U.S. for one to three years while remaining on student visas after completing their studies.
Roughly 419,000 foreign graduates were working under the program in 2024, the latest year for which data is available.
Costly Immigration Shift If implemented, the proposal would significantly expand President Donald Trump's efforts to tighten legal immigration.
