US proposal for $100,000 OPT fee stokes anxiety among Indian students
A White House-reviewed proposal would charge $100,000 for Optional Practical Training, but who would pay it is still unclear.
Indian and other international students studying in the US have a fresh worry. The Donald Trump administration has proposed a fee of $100,000, around Rs 96 lakh, for Optional Practical Training, or OPT. According to reports, the proposal has cleared the White House review process and could soon be implemented as a rule. However, it is still not clear who would actually pay the fee.
OPT is a crucial route for international students who want to gain real work experience in their field after finishing their studies in the US. Under it, eligible students can work for a certain period. Students usually get a twelve-month OPT period, while STEM students, those in science, technology, engineering and maths, get an additional twenty-four months. This gives STEM graduate students the opportunity to work in the US for up to three years in total.
OPT is seen as a major link between the US education system and its work visa system. International students gain experience by working at American companies during OPT, and during this period an employer may go on to start the process for a work visa such as H-1B for them. This is why OPT matters greatly to foreign students who want to build a career in the US after completing their studies there.
According to last year's figures, around three lakh foreign students had permission to work in the US through OPT, with students who had completed higher education making up the larger share. As a result, such a large fee could affect not just students but also universities and American companies.
The biggest question in this proposal is who would be responsible for paying the $100,000. So far, the public rules do not clearly mention this amount or how it would be paid, meaning it is not settled whether the fee would be paid by the student, the university or the company. Legal experts and policy analysts say this financial burden could be placed on the company that hires the foreign graduate.
According to policy analyst Sam Peak, if universities were made to pay this fee, covering it for a student linked to an outside or unfamiliar company would become practically impossible for universities. The real picture will only become clear once the final rule is issued.
For Indian students, OPT is the main route to starting work in the US. Through it, students work at American companies and hope for H-1B visa sponsorship down the line. If this $100,000 cost ends up falling on students, directly or indirectly, working in the US after studying there will turn out to be very expensive for most students.
According to Siddharth, co-founder of the Indian American Advocacy Council, if this cost falls on universities, they may also consider cutting international student admissions, and this is likely to affect STEM courses the most.
If this rule takes effect and its financial burden falls on students, universities or companies, it could significantly affect the decisions of students planning to study in the US. The full impact will only become clear once the government finalises the rule, its conditions and who is responsible for payment.
