# Trump Team Eyes $100K Fee to Block F-1 Students from Working After Graduation > Forbes is reporting that the Trump administration is weighing a $100,000 fee for Optional Practical Training — the work authorization that lets international students stay and work in the U.S. after graduating. The proposal is still being considered, not finalized, but it would effectively price most F-1 students out of post-graduation work entirely. Critics say it's likely unconstitutional, pointing to a federal judge who already struck down a similar $100,000 H-1B fee. Canonical URL: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/trump-100k-opt-fee-proposal-f1-students ## At a glance - **Policy status:** Status unverified - **Last verified:** Not recorded - **Human review:** No human review recorded - **Published:** 2026-08-03 - **Impact:** high - **Document type:** Alert - **Source agency:** Forbes (reporting on Trump administration plans) - **Document number:** news-forbes-com-sites-stuartanderson-2026-08-03-new-immigration-plan-considered-to-stop-stud-1ialfgy - **Visa types:** F-1, OPT, STEM OPT Publication dates and impact ratings do not establish whether a policy is in force. Verify current status against the linked government evidence. See /about for our editorial process. ## Who is affected - F-1 international students planning to apply for OPT - F-1 STEM graduates seeking STEM OPT extensions - U.S. employers who hire OPT workers - Universities with large international student populations ## Key changes - The Trump administration is reportedly considering a $100,000 fee for OPT work authorization, according to Forbes. - The stated goal of the proposal is to deter international students from working in the U.S. after graduation, not just to collect revenue. - No rule has been finalized — this remains a reported internal consideration with no published timeline. - A federal judge already struck down a similar $100,000 H-1B fee in June 2026 as an unconstitutional tax, raising serious legal questions about this proposal. - Educators, economists, and businesses have reportedly opposed the plan, arguing it would harm U.S. innovation and send talent abroad. ## What you should do No immediate action required — this is an unfinalized proposal. Monitor for any formal rulemaking announcement, consult your designated school official (DSO), and consider speaking with an immigration attorney if you have a pending or upcoming OPT application. The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a plan that could end post-graduation work in the United States as most international students know it. Forbes reported on August 3, 2026, that officials are considering a $100,000 fee for Optional Practical Training (OPT) — the program that allows F-1 students to work in the U.S. in their field of study after graduating. No rule has been finalized, and the policy's future remains uncertain. ## At a Glance - **What:** The Trump administration is reportedly considering a $100,000 fee to access OPT work authorization for F-1 international students. - **Who:** F-1 international students who plan to apply for OPT or STEM OPT after graduation, and the employers who hire them. - **When:** No timeline or effective date has been announced — this is a reported proposal, not a final rule. - **Impact:** A fee this large would effectively eliminate OPT as a viable path for almost all international students and their employers. ## What's Being Considered According to Forbes, the administration's reported goal is not simply to generate revenue — it's to deter international students from working in the U.S. after finishing their degrees. OPT currently allows F-1 students up to 12 months of work authorization, with a 24-month extension available to graduates in STEM fields (STEM OPT). A $100,000 fee would put OPT out of reach for virtually every individual student. Even if employers absorbed the cost, it would make hiring an OPT worker dramatically more expensive than hiring a U.S. citizen or green card holder — likely shutting most small and mid-sized companies out of the OPT pipeline entirely. ## The Legal Problem Forbes also noted that critics are questioning whether this fee would even survive a legal challenge. That concern has real grounding: a federal judge struck down the Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee in June 2026, ruling that it functioned as an unconstitutional tax. AP News confirmed that ruling. A comparable OPT fee would almost certainly face the same legal argument in court. ## What Experts Are Saying Forbes reported that educators, economists, and businesses have pushed back against the proposal. Research cited in the article suggests international students on OPT do not displace American workers — instead, they tend to contribute to job creation and innovation. Critics warn the fee would damage U.S. competitiveness and push highly educated talent toward Canada, Australia, and other countries actively recruiting international graduates. ## Broader Context This proposal fits a pattern of tightening restrictions on international students. AP News reported in July 2026 that the Trump administration finalized a separate rule capping F-1 student stays in the U.S. at four years unless students receive government approval — a major departure from the longstanding practice of allowing students to remain for the full duration of their academic program. ## What You Should Do No action is required right now. This is a reported proposal — there is no published rule, no comment period, and no effective date. But if you are an F-1 student planning to apply for OPT or STEM OPT, you should: - **Track this closely.** If a formal rule is proposed, there will be a public comment period — your voice matters. - **Consult your international student office (DSO).** They will be the first to know if official guidance changes. - **Don't make graduation or job decisions based on this proposal alone.** Until a rule is finalized and survives legal review, OPT remains available under current rules. - **Talk to an immigration attorney** if you have a pending OPT application or are in the middle of a STEM OPT extension. ## Sources - Source · forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2026/08/03/new-immigration-plan-considered-to-stop-students-from-working-in-us/ --- _The Visa Pulse — Immigration Policy, Explained. 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