U.S. to charge international students nearly 100 million won to work; 40 million won for extensions

[Financial News] Going forward, foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities and work in the United States without an employment visa will have to pay a fee close to 100 million won.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in a press release on the 7th (local time) a proposed rule to impose a new fee on nonimmigrant students with student visas (F-1) who seek to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT), temporary work authorization related to their field of study.
Under the proposed rule, a student holding an F-1 visa would be charged $70,000 (about 93.8 million won) when first applying for OPT, and $30,000 (about 40 million won) for each subsequent application.
OPT is a program that allows foreign nationals who attended undergraduate or graduate school at U.S. universities to work using only their existing F-1 visa, without first obtaining a new employment visa.
A DHS spokesperson said OPT is not “a back door into the U.S. labor market, a subsidy for low-wage labor, or a reward for those who abuse the system,” adding, “There is no reason U.S. workers should have to compete with a program that has become a channel for supplying low-wage foreign labor.”
OPT generally allows students to extend their stay by one year, but those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields have been allowed to stay for up to three years, including an additional two years.
DHS explained that it announced the proposed rule after the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), uncovered cases of fraud and abuse related to OPT.
It said it believes the new fee policy will encourage schools to apply stricter oversight and screening standards when recommending F-1 nonimmigrant students for OPT, helping reduce fraud and strengthen the integrity of the program.
DHS said, “If a school does not pay the required fee, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will not grant work authorization to F-1 nonimmigrant students,” identifying schools as responsible for paying the fee.
However, since universities are unlikely to pay the application fee on behalf of OPT applicants, students or companies seeking to hire international students appear likely to bear the cost in practice.
The proposed rule is expected to be finalized and take effect after procedures including a 60-day public comment period.
The Associated Press reported that implementation could be delayed if university- or business-related groups file lawsuits.
The AP noted that the measure “will deal a blow to U.S. universities and some companies,” adding, “U.S. universities actively recruit international students as a source of tuition revenue. Technology companies and other industries also hire many international students for technical jobs.”
Doug Rand, who served as a senior adviser at USCIS during former President Joe Biden’s administration, told the AP he expected this fee to be struck down in court as well. He criticized the measure, saying, “If we educate international students at our universities and they put their talents to use here after graduating, of course we should welcome them, not drive them away with exorbitant fees.”


[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, international affairs correspondent Reporter