The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed charging universities $70,000 for every international student they recommend for Optional Practical Training (OPT), the programme that lets F-1 students work in the US during or after their degree. Any later OPT period for the same student, including the 24-month STEM extension, would cost a further $30,000. The proposal was published in the Federal Register on 8 October 2026, and comments are open until 9 November. It is not law yet: the fee would start 60 days after a final rule is published, and only for OPT recommendations dated on or after that day.
Background
To get OPT, a student needs a recommendation from a designated school official, who records it in SEVIS, and then files Form I-765 with USCIS for a work permit. Today the student's main cost is that USCIS filing fee, which TIME puts at about $500. DHS argues the programme has grown beyond what it can police: 194,554 students worked on pre- or post-completion OPT in 2024, up from 160,627 in 2023, and another 165,524 were on STEM OPT. The rule cites shell companies that sold jobs to students and says that, without these fees, DHS "may shut down the program entirely". DHS says it set the amount to sit close to H-1B fees, so that OPT cannot be used to avoid them.
What exactly is proposed
The fee is charged to the school, not to the student or the employer. A school would have to pay before its designated official enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS, and USCIS would not grant the work permit without proof of payment. The $70,000 applies to a student's first OPT of any kind, pre-completion or post-completion. The $30,000 applies to every later recommendation: post-completion OPT after an earlier pre-completion period, a STEM extension, or any further OPT period. Changing employers does not trigger a fee. A school can ask for a refund only if the student never received the work permit; SEVP decides case by case and its decision cannot be appealed. DHS is also asking for comments on a stricter alternative that would charge the full $70,000 again when a student moves up a degree level, for example from a bachelor's to a master's.
Today vs the proposal
- Today: the student pays the USCIS work-permit filing fee (about $500); the school pays nothing to recommend OPT
- Proposed: the school pays $70,000 before recommending a student's first OPT
- Proposed: $30,000 more for each later OPT period, including the 24-month STEM extension
- Typical STEM path (12 months of OPT, then the STEM extension): $100,000 per student
- Not charged: changes of employer. The proposal covers OPT only, not Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Who it affects
DHS counts 2,478 schools whose students used OPT between 2022 and 2024. The rule states that schools "may pass the financial obligation" on to F-1 students, to all students, or to employers, so the cost could reach applicants through higher fees or through fewer OPT recommendations. A master's student in data science planning a year of OPT and then the STEM extension would need their university to commit $100,000 before they start work. A business graduate eligible only for 12 months of OPT may find the school unwilling to pay $70,000 for a single year.
What to do now
Nothing changes for students today. Anyone already on OPT, or recommended before a final rule takes effect, keeps their current authorisation. If you are choosing or starting a US degree, ask the international office how it would handle the fee, because a final rule could land during a two-year master's. Comments can be filed on regulations.gov under docket ICEB-2026-0100 until 9 November. NAFSA and the American Council on Education have spoken against the proposal, and AP reports that a court challenge is likely. The same administration's proposed fee on new H-1B petitions is covered in our [H-1B fee article](/news/dhs-proposes-103265-h1b-cap-fee-2026). For US routes more broadly, see the [United States guide](/country-guides/united-states) and the [visas and status field guide](/field-guide/visas-status).
Key dates
Published in the Federal Register: 8 October 2026. Comments due: 9 November 2026 (7 December for the paperwork section). If finalised, the fee applies to OPT recommendations dated 60 days or more after the final rule is published. No final rule date has been set.
What could still change
This is a proposal and may be changed after the comment period or blocked in court. Universities have not yet said whether they would pay, share or pass on the fee. DHS itself estimates the fees at $8.7 billion to $16.9 billion a year, a wide range because it cannot predict how many schools would keep recommending students.
Key Takeaway
DHS wants schools to pay $70,000 per student for a first OPT period and $30,000 for each later one; comments close on 9 November, and students already on OPT are not affected.