Nigerians and other foreign nationals hoping to gain work experience in the United States could face a major financial hurdle under a new proposal by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The proposed measure would introduce a $70,000 fee for certain international students seeking employment authorisation through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.
The OPT programme allows eligible foreign students on F-1 visas to obtain temporary employment in the United States in areas related to their studies after completing their academic programmes.
Who could be affected?
The proposal could affect thousands of international students, including Nigerians, who study in the United States and intend to remain temporarily after graduation to gain professional experience.
Under the proposal, an initial OPT application could attract a $70,000 fee, while a subsequent period of OPT could attract a proposed $30,000 fee.
However, the proposed charge should not be interpreted as a general $70,000 fee for every Nigerian applying for a job in America.
It is specifically connected to employment authorisation under the OPT programme for eligible international students.
Why is Trump proposing the fee?
The Trump administration says the move is aimed at tackling what it considers abuse of immigration and foreign-worker programmes.
The administration has argued that restrictions on foreign labour could help protect American workers and discourage employers from relying on lower-cost foreign labour.
The proposal is part of a wider series of immigration and employment measures introduced by the Trump administration as it seeks to tighten the rules governing foreign nationals working in the United States.
What Nigerians should know
The proposed $70,000 OPT fee is not yet a general fee that Nigerians must pay before seeking employment in the United States.
It would apply only if the proposal becomes final and to the category of foreign students covered by the rule.
This distinction is important because Nigerians seeking American jobs through other immigration routes would be subject to the requirements and fees applicable to those specific programmes.
The development could nevertheless have a significant impact on Nigerian students in the U.S., particularly graduates who rely on OPT as a pathway to obtain professional experience and potentially move into longer-term employment sponsorship.
Another major US foreign-worker fee
The OPT proposal comes amid other efforts by the Trump administration to increase the financial requirements surrounding employment of foreign workers.
The administration has also introduced a $100,000 payment requirement involving certain new H-1B workers, placing additional financial pressure on employers seeking to employ highly skilled foreign nationals.
For Nigerians hoping to study and subsequently work in America, the latest proposals therefore signal a potentially much more expensive pathway into the U.S. labour market.
Key takeaway: The proposed $70,000 charge is not a blanket job-seeking fee for Nigerians. It concerns certain international students seeking work authorisation through the OPT programme, and the proposal would have to go through the U.S. rule-making process before becoming a final requirement.