The Trump administration’s draft rule published on 13 October would raise filing fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment authorisations from US$470 to US$1,600 and impose an annual revalidation, prompting Spanish companies with operations stateside to reassess graduate-recruitment pipelines. Press agency Europa Press notes that Madrid-listed firms such as Santander, Ferrovial and Grifols collectively employ more than 3,000 OPT participants each year. Immigration lawyers in Madrid report a sudden spike in enquiries about treaty-trader (E-1) and treaty-investor (E-2) visas, which allow postings of up to five years and are available to Spanish nationals under the 1991 US-Spain bilateral treaty. While the E-visas carry higher legal costs, they could become cost-neutral if the OPT hike is approved. For global-mobility teams the key challenge is timing: current E-2 appointment wait times at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid average 90 days, compared with 14 days for OPT-related employment authorisations processed through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Companies that rely on U.S. campus recruiting are therefore modelling scenarios in which 2027 intakes shift to Madrid-based trainee programmes until visa pathways stabilise. The Spanish Confederation of Employers (CEOE) has asked the Foreign Ministry to negotiate a fee waiver for STEM graduates under the 2025 Young Professional Mobility Agreement, but Washington insiders say that is unlikely during an election year. Meanwhile, HR departments are auditing whether existing Spanish assignees on L-1 intracompany visas can absorb some entry-level functions remotely from Spain to reduce stateside headcount. If adopted, the OPT fee hike could have a ripple effect on Spanish start-ups participating in U.S. accelerators, as founders often rely on OPT after completing MBA programmes. Mobility managers should track the Federal Register for the 60-day comment period closing on 12 December and prepare cost-comparison briefs for CFO sign-off by year-end.
Source: Europa Press Empresas
