US Job Route Could Become Costly for Foreign Students After Studies

CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A major change has emerged for foreign students preparing to work in the United States after completing their studies, especially Indian students. The Trump administration has moved forward a proposal to impose a fee of up to $100,000, or around Rs 96 lakh, on the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme for international students. The proposal has been cleared in a White House review, but it has not yet become a final rule.

Under OPT, foreign students who complete their studies in the US on an F-1 visa are allowed to work temporarily in a field related to their course of study. If the new fee is implemented, starting work in the US after studies could become extremely expensive for students. Indian students are also among the major beneficiaries of this system.

However, the final conditions of the proposal have not yet been released. It still has to be published in the Federal Register, followed by completion of the public comment process. Therefore, the Rs 96 lakh amount should currently be seen only as a proposed fee. In addition, rules are also being tightened for foreign employees under the H-1B visa system. The government has also proposed ending the 60-day grace period available after job loss.

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