Nigerian Students May Face $70,000 US OPT Fee Under New Proposal

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the country through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, a move that could affect Nigerian and other foreign students seeking work experience after graduation.

Under the proposal, schools would be required to pay $70,000 for a student’s initial OPT application and $30,000 for each renewal, according to the Associated Press.

OPT allows eligible international students on F-1 visas to obtain temporary employment related to their fields of study after completing their academic programmes. Students are generally eligible for up to one year of OPT, while qualifying STEM graduates can receive an additional two years.

The proposed fee is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls and address what DHS describes as fraud and abuse within student work programmes. DHS has characterized OPT as a potential “pipeline for cheap foreign labor,” according to AP.

The proposal has drawn concern from higher education and business groups, who argue that a fee of such magnitude could discourage international students from studying in the United States and affect industries that rely on skilled foreign graduates, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, said OPT provides international students with practical experience while helping employers address workforce needs.

“Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership,” Aw said.

Doug Rand, a former senior adviser at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, also criticized the proposed fee, arguing that international graduates who have been educated in the United States should not face an excessive financial barrier to remaining and working in the country.

The $70,000 charge is a proposed fee and is not currently an established OPT requirement.

The public will have 60 days to submit comments on the proposal before DHS considers whether to finalize it. The measure could also face legal challenges from higher education and business groups.

The proposed policy comes amid wider changes to the U.S. immigration system affecting international students and foreign workers.

For Nigerian students considering studying in the United States, the proposal could become an important factor in decisions about post-graduation employment if it is ultimately finalized.

 

Canada Falls Behind 2026 Immigration Target After Admitting 182,100 New Permanent Residents

Canada admitted 182,100 new permanent residents during the first six months of 2026, putting the country below the pace needed to achieve its revised immigration target for the year.

New figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on August 18 showed that 155,800 permanent residents arrived between January 1 and June 30 through the country’s main immigration programmes.

Another 26,300 people obtained permanent residency through two special initiatives created for protected persons and eligible workers already living in Canada.

The combined figure of 182,100 admissions represents about 40.8 per cent of Canada’s adjusted 2026 target of 446,000 permanent residents.

Canada’s original immigration levels plan had set a target of 380,000 permanent resident admissions for 2026. However, the inclusion of the two special initiatives increased the effective target to 446,000.

At the current pace, Canada would need to admit another 263,900 permanent residents between July and December to reach the adjusted annual target.

Economic immigration accounted for the largest proportion of permanent residents admitted during the first half of the year.

IRCC recorded 89,200 economic-class admissions by the end of June, compared with the government’s full-year target of 239,800. At the halfway point of the year, the category was therefore around 30,700 admissions behind the pace required to meet its annual goal.

The economic immigration category includes programmes such as Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, federal business programmes and several economic pilot schemes.

The family class recorded 45,100 permanent resident admissions during the first six months of the year.

With an annual target of 84,000, the family category was approximately 3,100 admissions ahead of the pace needed by the end of June to reach its full-year target.

The category covers spouses, partners and dependants sponsored by Canadian citizens or permanent residents, alongside parents and grandparents sponsored through the Parents and Grandparents Program.

Canada also admitted 17,900 permanent residents under its refugees and protected persons category by June 30.

The government’s 2026 target for the category is 49,300, leaving admissions about 6,750 below the pace required at the halfway point.

The category includes government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, as well as people already in Canada who have been granted protection through the Immigration and Refugee Board or the pre-removal risk assessment process.

The country’s 2026 immigration figures also include special measures designed to provide permanent residency to protected persons and workers already established in Canada.

Through the initiatives, Canada aims to admit 46,000 protected persons and 20,000 in-Canada workers during 2026.

By June 30, IRCC had recorded 15,000 admissions under the protected-person initiative and another 11,300 under the in-Canada workers initiative.

That represents approximately 33 per cent of the protected-person target and 57 per cent of the target for eligible workers already living in Canada.

The In-Canada Workers Initiative is designed for qualifying skilled workers who have lived in a rural Canadian community for at least two years and have applied for permanent residence through an eligible programme.

Meanwhile, Canada is also seeking to strengthen French-language immigration outside Quebec.

IRCC reported that 12,400 of the permanent residents admitted outside Quebec during the first half of 2026 were French-speaking or bilingual.

The federal government has set a target for French-speaking immigrants to account for 9 per cent of permanent resident admissions outside Quebec in 2026.

One of the measures being used to increase francophone immigration is French-language category-based selection through Express Entry.

Of the 114,865 invitations to apply issued through Express Entry during 2026, 39.6 per cent had gone to French-speaking candidates.

With less than half of its adjusted annual target achieved by the end of June, Canada will need to significantly increase permanent resident admissions during the second half of the year if it is to reach its revised target of 446,000 newcomers.

The figures come as Canada continues to adjust its immigration policies amid efforts to balance labour-market needs, population growth and pressure on housing and public services.