Trump Administration Proposes $100,000 Fee for OPT Work Permits, Affecting Indian Graduates

What Happens Next

• →US universities heavily dependent on international tuition—particularly mid-tier STEM programs—face 15-30% revenue shortfalls, triggering hiring freezes and program cuts.
• →Countries like Canada, Australia, and Germany experience a measurable surge in international student applications as Indian and other South Asian graduates redirect their education plans.
• →US tech and engineering firms accelerate offshoring and nearshoring of technical roles to India, Canada, and Eastern Europe to compensate for a shrinking domestic pipeline of foreign-trained talent.
• →Major employer coalitions and university associations intensify lobbying campaigns and legal challenges targeting the proposed fee, framing it as a threat to US economic competitiveness.

Near-term: Indian student applications to US universities for the next admission cycle decline sharply; universities and industry groups file formal objections and begin coordinating legal challenges to the proposed fee. Long-term: The US loses its dominant position as the top destination for international STEM talent, with a permanent rebalancing toward Canada, Australia, and the EU; mid-tier US universities that relied on international tuition consolidate or close programs.