Trump considers $100,000 fee for foreign students on OPT visa

The Trump administration is considering a plan to charge international students $100,000 to work in the US after graduation, targeting the Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension. A person familiar with the matter revealed the proposal, speaking anonymously due to internal deliberations. A White House official stated there is no imminent policy change but did not deny the plan is under review. OPT allows student visa holders to extend their stay for work experience, and officials have criticized it for enabling visa fraud and overstays. As of last fall, nearly 300,000 international students were on OPT, representing about a quarter of the foreign student population in the US, according to the Institute of International Education. The fee would make the extension unaffordable for many, potentially devastating for student visa holders already affected by immigration crackdowns.