Indian students accounted for nearly one-third of the total international student population in the United States.
Our Bureau
Washington, DC
The Donald Trump administration is weighing a plan that may oblige foreign university graduates to pay USD 100,000 to obtain post-graduation employment in the US, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
As per sources quoted in the publication, the contemplated charge is linked to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) scheme. The mechanism permits eligible foreign scholars to work in the US for up to three years following the completion of their degree courses, contingent upon their discipline.
The executive branch has not issued an official announcement regarding the plan.
Official data cited by The Wall Street Journal indicates that approximately 419,000 international graduates were working via the OPT pathway in 2024.
The scheme serves as a crucial talent recruitment conduit for US corporations, particularly across the technology and financial sectors. Leading enterprise employers frequently recruit international scholars from American academic institutions through OPT prior to securing H-1B employment visas for qualifying personnel.
Higher education institutions could similarly face adverse financial consequences, given that overseas scholars account for a substantial share of total tuition revenues.
The reported deliberation over OPT charges follows closely behind legal setbacks encountered by the Trump administration over a separate immigration initiative concerning H-1B visas.
The administration previously sought to enforce a USD 100,000 levy on certain H-1B applicants. However, enforcement of the measure was blocked last week by a federal appeals court in Boston, according to reports.
That measure drew intense pushback from technology entities, which contended that escalating regulatory expenses would jeopardise access to foreign skilled labour. Consequently, executive officials scaled back the coverage of the H-1B fee framework to apply exclusively to specific foreign specialists entering the US directly under H-1B classification.
In contrast, the prospective OPT regulation would directly impact international scholars already matriculated at US universities.
The latest Open Doors report reveals that more than 363,000 Indian students were studying at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2024–25 academic year, making India the largest source of international students, surpassing China. Indian students accounted for nearly one-third of the total international student population in the United States.
A major factor behind the growing preference for the U.S. is the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. Recent data indicates that participation among Indian students increased by 47% within a year, with approximately 40% of Indian students in the U.S. taking advantage of OPT to gain practical work experience after their studies.