Trump’s Plan B to Hike H-1B and OPT Fees?

Come what may, US President Donald Trump is not going to step back on his proposal to hike the fees for foreigner professionals who apply for H- 1B and OPT for students after completing their studies. Despite facing a setback in a Federal court, Trump’s administration is now planning to go ahead with its plan to increase the H-1B and OPT fees very soon. 

The Department of Homeland Security has submitted new proposals to increase fees for H-1B work visas and F-1 Optional Practical Training through a regulatory process and not through a presidential proclamation. 

Under the draft regulations, fees for certain H-1B worker petitions could reach $103,265, while post-graduate practical training applications might also face a new $100,000 charge. 

The new charges target workers hired within the US, including university graduates moving from student status to jobs. A previous attempt by the administration to enforce a $100,000 fee on overseas H-1B hires was blocked by a federal court just a few weeks ago. 

The new proposal attempts a different legal route to apply the charge inside the country. Indian citizens will bear the main impact of these fee changes. Indian professionals secure over 70 percent of all approved H-1B petitions each year, making them the largest group of high-skilled foreign workers in the US tech sector. 

The immigration landscape is tightening further as officials introduce stricter enforcement rules. Immigration officers now hold authority to reject applications directly without issuing warnings or requests for missing paperwork. 

A separate proposal also seeks to remove the standard 60-day grace period for unemployed visa holders. If passed, these policy changes will force foreign workers and international students to navigate higher costs and lower job security in the United States.