Trump plans to charge sky-high fees of $2.2 million for international students working in the United States

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposed on Wednesday (7th) to charge a fee of US$70,000 (approximately NT$2.25 million) to international students seeking to work in the United States. The Associated Press reported that the new draft system would require schools to pay this fee for every student participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. According to regulations, schools must pay US$70,000 for each student who applies for the program for the first time, and US$30,000 for each renewal. Read on... The OPT program allows students to work in jobs related to their majors during or after graduation. Students are typically eligible for one year of work upon graduation, but students in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors are eligible for an additional two years. Reports pointed out that the new system may cause a heavy blow to higher education and some enterprises. American colleges and universities recruit a large number of overseas students as an important source of tuition revenue; technology companies and other industries also hire a large number of foreign students for technical positions. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the fees were in response to fraud and abuse in the visa program, which it said had become a "pipeline for cheap foreign workers." The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal. The bill is seen as the Trump administration's latest move to suppress international students; the United States had previously revoked the status of foreign students without warning and tried to restrict residence to no more than four years, but it was blocked by a court from taking effect in September.