International students face new challenges in internships in the United States, and the United States intends to significantly raise OPT application fees.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security(DHS) A new regulation was put forward on October 7, local time, regarding the participation of foreign students."Selective Practical Training Programme(OPT), to collect fees from the school.

According to the DHS announcement,F-1 student visaWhen applying for a 12-month regular OPT, the school must pay US $70000 per person. If you want to apply for an extension of your work permit, especially the two-year extension that can be applied for by graduates majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM), the school must pay another US $30000 per person, totaling up to US $100000 per person.

At present, this policy is in the public consultation period. The public may submit comments from October 8 to November 9. Upon completion of the consultation period, the official policy will be promulgated.

The current OPT application fee is approximately $500, and it is typically paid by international students themselves. OPT is a temporary work authorization that is directly related to the F-1 student’s major field of study. Current regulations allow eligible students to apply either before or after graduation, with a maximum of 12 months per educational stage; holders of STEM degrees may apply for an additional 24-month extension.

Experts: These areas will be hit

DHS said in a statement that the fee was imposed in response to fraud and abuse in the visa program because "the program has become a channel to obtain cheap foreign labor".

However, industry experts said that the new regulations will deal a blow to the U.S. higher education sector and some companies, because U.S. universities recruit a large number of overseas students as an important source of income, and technology companies and other industries usually employ many international students for technical positions.

Association representing the international educational communityNAFSAChief Executive OfficerFanta Ou(Fanta Aw) said the OPT program enables international students to gain hands-on experience and fill the gap left by a shortage of talent in the STEM field in the United States. "shutting out international students and their talents, diverse perspectives and aspirations will only damage America's ability to innovate, economic growth, workforce development and global leadership," she wrote in a statement."

On behalf of the presidents of American colleges and universitiesAmerican Board of Education（American Council on Education）副主席Sprezer(Sarah Spreitzer) said that since the tightening of immigration policies, the number of international students enrolled in the United States has taken a hit.

The latest data show that, last fall, the number of international students enrolling in U.S. institutions for the first time declined by 17%, marking the largest drop since the start of the pandemic. Spreitzer stated that although the overall data for this fall have not yet been released, some universities have reported a 30% to 40% decline in international student enrollment.

How it affects international students

Professor of Management and Specialist in Immigration and Economics, Wharton School, PennsylvaniaGlennon(Britta Glennon) said that OPT is a key link in the multi-stage path of international students. Students usually enter the country with F-1 visas and rely on OPT to obtain temporary work permits after graduation. The ultimate goal is to obtain employer guarantees to apply.H-1B Visa。

Glennon said that because the H-1B visa has a ceiling of 85000 places per year and is allocated by lottery, OPT provides students with "extra time to win the lottery". "This is the typical path of skilled immigrants in the United States." Glennon said. She also said the policy could immediately affect students who have been offered jobs.

Professor, Carey School of Law, University of PennsylvaniaMuyi.(Fernando Chang-Muy) said the fee "will shut out almost all recently graduated international students, effectively ending OPT opportunities for everyone but the wealthiest".

Glennon said that the long-term risk of implementing the proposal is that outstanding students may no longer choose to use the United States as a permanent settlement. "If you think this path is not feasible and there is no other real viable alternative, then you may choose to go to other places instead, because there, you have a better chance of employment and integration into the local economy after graduation."

If implemented, Mooy added, the proposal would "completely erode the return on investment in attracting international students to the United States in the first place", which would be diverted to other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom or Australia.