Trump ‘Targets’ Foreign Students with Rp1.25bn Work Training Fee
The administration of President Donald Trump has proposed charging international students holding F-1 visas up to US$70,000, or about Rp1.25 billion, to take part in a work training programme in the United States. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the fee was part of a proposed tightening of rules for foreign visa holders.
“To combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system and protect US workers,” DHS said in a document published online on Wednesday, Reuters reported on Thursday (8 October 2026).
Under the proposal, students on F-1 visas would have to pay US$70,000, or about Rp1.25 billion, to a certified institution to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT). They would also be charged US$30,000, or about Rp534 million, for each additional work training period.
OPT currently allows international students to work up to 20 hours a week while studying and to undertake work training for a set period after graduating. Students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) may also qualify for an extension. The programme currently costs about US$500, or Rp8.9 million.
“DHS is now setting a fee to ensure that employers, students and institutions conduct activities consistent with the terms of F-1 non-immigrant admission,” the department said.
OPT is often a route for international students to gain work experience before applying for an H-1B visa. US companies widely use that visa to recruit professionals in specialised fields, including engineers and scientists from countries such as India and China.
The proposed high fees could also face legal challenges. Doug Rand, director of the Talent Mobility Fund, said the proposal would not withstand scrutiny in court and compared it with a US$100,000, or about Rp1.78 billion, H-1B visa fee policy and other immigration measures that he said had been struck down.
The DHS proposal is now subject to a 30-day public comment period before it can be finalised. If adopted, the department said it would wait 60 days after finalisation before implementing the rule, giving universities, students and employers time to prepare.