The US government has proposed a $70,000 fee for international students, including Nigerians, seeking to work in the US after finishing school.
The United States Department of Homeland Security has proposed a huge $70,000 fee for international students, including thousands of young Nigerians, who want to work in America after finishing their university education.
The new government plan was made public on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, as part of fresh measures by the Donald Trump administration to reduce the number of foreign students working in the country.
Under the proposed law, American colleges and universities will have to pay $70,000 for each foreign student applying for a temporary work permit, known as the Optional Practical Training programme, plus an extra $30,000 fee for any renewal.
The Optional Practical Training plan lets international students on student visas work in American companies for one year after graduating, while students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can work for up to three years.
However, the new government proposal seeks to make this work permit extremely expensive so that schools and companies will stop hiring foreign graduates.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the heavy price tag by claiming that the current student work plan has turned into a cheap labor system that hurts American workers.
Defending the heavy payment demand, officials from the Department of Homeland Security stated that: “The proposed fees would encourage schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity when recommending F-1 nonimmigrant students for OPT, helping reduce fraud and strengthen program integrity.”
Government leaders argued that demanding high fees from institutions will stop people from misusing student visas just to enter the American job market.
However, the plan has caused great panic among international students and major education leaders across the United States.
Experts warn that demanding such huge fees will prevent poor and middle-class Nigerian graduates from getting foreign work experience, while also hurting American technology companies and universities that rely on foreign student fees.
Criticizing the government’s decision, Fanta Aw, who is the Chief Executive Officer of NAFSA, an international education organization, warned that the policy will hurt the American economy.
Speaking on the danger of turning away foreign graduates, Fanta Aw stated: “Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership.”
Former government immigration adviser Doug Rand also spoke out against the decision, stating that charging high fees is the wrong way to treat foreign graduates who spent their money studying in American schools.
Criticizing the proposal in an email statement, Doug Rand stated: “When we educate international students at our universities, and they want to work and apply their talents here after graduating, of course we should embrace them, not use an exorbitant fee as a pretext to send them packing.”
The public has 60 days to submit comments before the US government decides whether to make the rule final. Legal experts predict that American university groups and business organizations will take the government to court to stop the fee from coming into force.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
