DHS proposes massive $70K fee for foreign students seeking work authorization
A proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would implement new fees for international students seeking temporary employment in their field of study, an effort the agency says is aimed at reducing the flow of cheap labor into the U.S.Under the proposal, F-1 visa holders would be charged a $70,000 fee for an initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization, as well as a $30,000 fee for any subsequent extension."Optional Practical Training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system," a DHS spokesperson said."DHS is upskilling OPT to require foreign students to justify their worth to employers.
American workers should not have to compete against a program that has been turned into a pipeline for cheap foreign labor."EXCLUSIVE: ‘PHANTOM EMPLOYEES' SCANDAL SPURS GOP CRACKDOWN ON $36B INCENTIVE FOR COMPANIES TO BYPASS AMERICANSA proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would implement steep new fees for foreign students seeking temporary employment in their field of study, in an effort to combat fraud.(iStock)Currently, OPT allows eligible foreign students to work part-time while enrolled in school and full-time for a set period after graduation at a cost of around $500.To participate, students must work in a field directly related to their major, receive a recommendation from a designated school official (DSO) and obtain employment authorization from U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).TRUMP ADMIN’S FRAUD CRACKDOWN TARGETS FOREIGNERS ACCUSED OF INFILTRATING US FEDERAL PROGRAMSThe Trump administration has cracked down on foreign student visa holders (Glenn Stubbe/Star Tribune/Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)Graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields can qualify for an additional 24-month extension.DHS said the proposed fee structure comes in response to widespread fraud an...