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‘End work permits for foreign students,’ says Republican senator after Trump’s H-1B fee hike
Senator Chuck Grassley proposes ending work permits for foreign students, citing competition and espionage risks, threatening pathways to US employment.
A senior Republican senator called for ending work authorisations for foreign students on Wednesday, proposing another restriction that could further block pathways to American employment following President Donald Trump’s H-1B visa fee hike.
Senator Chuck Grassley urged the Department of Homeland Security to stop issuing work permits to student visa holders, arguing they compete unfairly against Americans and pose espionage risks.
“DHS needs 2 stop issuing work authorizations 2 student visa holders who compete against Americans. It’s in direct violation of law &puts USA at risk of tech and corporate espionage I sent a letter 2 DHS Scty [secretary Kristi] Noem asking her to end work authorizations for foreign student visa holders,” Grassley wrote on X.
The proposal could eliminate Optional Practical Training, which allows foreign students to work in America during or after completing their degrees. OPT provides a crucial pathway for Indian professionals to find jobs, gain H-1B sponsorship, and subsequently obtain green cards — a route that would be severed if Grassley’s demands are accepted.
It remains unclear whether DHS intends to act on the senator’s request, but the proposal represents another threat blow to international students already facing Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee increase.
Under current regulations, F-1 student visa holders cannot work off-campus during their first academic year and are limited to 20 hours weekly of on-campus employment. After that period, students can access work programmes including Curricular Practical Training and Optional Practical Training, though immigration attorneys stress these are not unlimited work authorisations.
Evan Law, an immigration attorney at Manifest Law who previously served as a US Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, noted the Trump administration had already restricted these pathways through stricter oversight and increased compliance burdens on schools and students.
“If all student visa work authorisation were eliminated, international students would not be able to work on campus jobs, at internships tied to their degree, and on post-graduation OPT. These changes would impact approximately 194,554 F-1 students that participated in OPT in 2023,” Law said.
The senator’s intervention follows Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which has already sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, including the Indian diaspora, that is a strong pillar of Silicon Valley.
