The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the country, in the latest move by the Trump administration to tighten regulations surrounding foreign students and immigration.

Under the proposed rule, schools would be required to pay the $70,000 fee for each international student participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.

The OPT programme allows eligible foreign students to gain temporary employment in the United States in jobs related to their fields of study while they are enrolled in school or after graduation.

International students are generally eligible to work for up to one year after completing their studies through the OPT programme.

However, graduates in certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields may qualify for an additional two years of employment under the programme.

The proposed fee represents another potential financial burden for institutions hosting international students and comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules and regulate pathways allowing foreign graduates to work in the United States.