Why Trump’s proposed $100,000 OPT fee could hit Indian students hard | World News

International students at a US university commencement ceremony. (Photo: AP)

The Trump adminration is considering a $100,000 (about Rs 96.4 lakh) fee for international graduates seeking to work in the US under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, a move that could hit thousands of Indian students and make American universities less attractive to foreign applicants, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The move will likely make studying in the US far less attractive for foreign students, and would mark a significant step in Trump’s wider push to restrict legal immigration.

The Journal reported that the proposed fee would particularly hit universities, which rely on international students as a steady source of revenue, along with major Silicon Valley and Wall Street firms that hire a large share of international graduates for technical roles.

What visa route is being targeted?

The fee would apply to Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas, an extension of the F-1 student visa that lets foreign graduates work in the US for one to three years in fields related to their studies. Around 419,000 foreign nationals were working under OPT in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available.

The proposal follows a US court ruling that struck down an earlier plan to charge a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. Tech companies, which account for most recruitment of international graduates from US universities, had opposed that fee.Story continues below this ad

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What is OPT
The proposed fee
Who’s affected
Trump’s measures
Why India cares

How OPT works today

1A student graduatesOn an F-1 international student visa.
2Applies for OPTWork authorisation in a field related to their degree.
3Works in the US for 1–3 years12 months for most; up to 36 months total for STEM graduates.
4May move to an H-1B visaOPT acts as a bridge to longer-term work sponsorship.
5Long-term US employmentThe pathway many international graduates rely on.

OPT (Optional Practical Training) was introduced in 1992 and functions as a bridge between the F-1 student visa and the H-1B work visa. Sources: WSJ, AFP, Bloomberg Law.

$100,000the fee reportedly under consideration — not approved or in force
Now vs the proposal

Cost of OPT
Available after graduation at modest application costA reported $100,000 charge to use it
Effect on students
Work 1–3 years in your fieldCould put the option out of reach for many
Likely knock-on effect
A big draw for overseas studentsAnalysts warn it could cut overseas enrolment

Reported the Wall Street Journal; the White House says there is no imminent change but hasn’t denied the proposal. Who pays and how (one-time or annual) has not been specified.

Who a fee could ripple through

🎓International studentsFace a potential six-figure cost to work after graduating.
🏫US universitiesRely on international enrolment; a fee could deter applicants.
💻Tech companiesSilicon Valley hires OPT graduates for technical roles.
🏦Wall Street firmsAlso recruit international graduates into special posts.
🌎The wider US economyEconoms warn ending OPT could carry a large GDP cost.

The GDP-cost warnings (e.g. a Peterson Institute brief) refer to ending OPT altogether, not the fee alone; estimates vary. Sources: WSJ, Korea JoongAng Daily.

Where this sits in a wider push

.2025A $100,000 fee on H-1B visas is introduced as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
.June–July 2026Courts strike down the H-1B fee — a Massachusetts judge (June 8), upheld the First Circuit (July 24) — as a charge Congress never authorised.
.July 16, 2026DHS finalises a rule capping student-visa stays at four years.
.Late July 2026The adminration floats a $100,000 OPT fee — the focus of this story.
.Also under discussionA proposed green-card “bond” and other measures targeting legal migration.

The OPT fee mirrors the blocked H-1B charge, which is why analysts expect any OPT version to face similar legal challenges. Sources: Tech Times, American Bazaar.

Why Indian students are watching closely

🇮🇳India is one of the largest sources of international students in the US.
🔬Indian nationals make up about 48% of STEM OPT students — the group that uses the 3-year extension.
💼OPT is often the first step toward US employment and an eventual H-1B.
💰A six-figure fee could sharply raise the cost of staying on after graduation.

OPT the numbers

~419,000graduates worked on OPT in 2024
48%of STEM OPT students are Indian
36 mthsmax OPT for STEM graduates

Figures per US government data cited Tech Times and American Bazaar; China is the second-largest OPT source country.

Sources: Wall Street Journal · AFP · Bloomberg Law · SCMP · Korea JoongAng Daily · Tech Times · American Bazaar. A proposal under consideration; not current law.

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What has the government said?

A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said, “No policies should be considered final until formally announced,” adding that the department is continually looking at how to use every tool available to protect the integrity of the legal immigration system.

Beyond H-1B and student visas, State Department officials are also weighing a $100,000 (roughly Rs 96.4 lakh) bond requirement for green card applicants based outside the US, refundable only once they move to the US and become citizens.

The OPT programme is one of the main reasons international students choose to study in the US. Without it, most international students would have to leave the country immediately after graduating, taking the skills gained at American universities to other markets instead.